Empire
by Mslead-Kytrin
Summary: Power was a commodity that was rare to have and something everyone wanted. Lucy Heartfilia's smile hid the dagger she used to cut her enemies down, ruling over her empire with money, cunning, and loyalty. She was on the top of her world, until a strange man with a mysterious past comes crashing into it - or her. [NALU] [UPDATING ALL AT ONCE]
1. Chapter 1

_**IMPORTANT**_

**Welcome back lovelies, it's me Mslead! Here is the introduction of the long, awaited Empire! We're going to be updating this fic, and other ones a little differently than we have in the past. Kytrin and I have moved into the My Hero Academia fandom, and we will be soon posting fics for that series. However our backlog for My Hero fics and Fairy Tail fics is UNBELIEVABLE. We didn't want them to just sit around though, so we decided to post them all at once! That means you guys get the whole fic of Empire at once!**

**WARNING: This means this fic will be largely unedited and any NSFW scenes will not be marked as they have in the past. This is your warning right now for the grammar and spelling issues you may run into! TW: Captivity, Questionable situations, panic attacks, icky situations. If these bother you, I suggest maybe passing on this fic.  
**

**That being said, please enjoy and we sincerely hope you enjoy the story!**

**CHAPTER 1**

Chance.

So much could change in a matter of seconds as a result of chance. Kings could fall and empires crumble, all by the difference of a single moment.

In facility just a couple of miles away from the nearest town was where chance took a moment to smile.

A man in a white coat went slamming into a wall, brick and tile went crumbling under the force of the impact. He didn't move, neck broken from the force of his body hitting the unforgiving surface.

Quiet fell after the shuttering rasp of the man's last breath, the shadow of a man hovering over the body.

The white hallways shifted in color, painted red by the blaring of an alarm. The man staring at his kill, jolted at the sound, seeming to come back to his senses. A low growl burst from his throat and he disappeared around the corner.

Lady Luck took that moment to smile on the escaping man. A crack of lightning outside caused the alarms to die down and cameras fail.

And by the time the secondary generator kicked back up as a failsafe, the man was gone. His escape by a broken window on the second floor. Blood clung to the shattered glass, large pieces glaring with the light from bolts of electricity dancing from the outside sky.

When the building was secured, a tall man dressed wholly in black stood illuminated by the broken window. He stared out at the lashing rain, ignoring the screams of the prisoners shocked by the disappearance of one of their own.

"Sir, designation Salamander couldn't have gotten far. He's injured, let me send out a team for recovery," a man in a neatly pressed suit spoke on the others side.

Black eyes turned towards the suit that spoke, his mouth relaxed in a soft smile, "You don't know my little brother well at all if you think a minor injury like that will stop him."

He turned away from the window, lightning cracking vividly to illuminate his face.

"Send out the demon gates Invel," he spoke, smile unwavering.

"But Zeref sir, there's a town nearby. The demon gates they—" Invel murmured but was cut off by Zeref's disinterested glance.

"And make sure these prisoners are under control. I won't have a repeat of what happened here today. They must have no hope that escape is possible," Zeref spoke over Invels protests.

"Yes sir."

—::—

Lucy suppressed a groan as the idiot currently dancing attendance on her tried to lean in to kiss her neck. Ordinarily she wouldn't have minded. There was little that got her blood up quite like pulsing music, alcohol, and someone hot to warm her bed. However, this time she wasn't interested. The routine was getting predictable and boring.

"Not tonight Bora." She sighed as she moved out of range and took a sip from her glass.

"Now don't be coy my dear." Bora purred as he reached for her hand again, "You weren't complaining last night..."

"That," Lucy snapped sharply, jerking her hand away, "was last night."

She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and absently waved down Mirajane before the white haired woman could come over. She could handle this one.

"Well what's the difference between tonight and last night?" Bora asked with a pout.

What was the difference? Probably that she'd spent the entire night thinking she would have more fun watching TV on the sofa with Plu than dealing with his so called 'skills' as a lover. It certainly would've been more engaging.

"Tonight I'm not in the mood is what." She replied primly, deciding to at least spare the man's ego a little. He might be boring, but he hadn't mistreated her. That deserved a little recognition at least.

Except, it seemed, Bora had other ideas.

"I'm sure I can get you in the mood." He persisted, grabbing ahold of her and sliding close. An action that got him elbowed sharply in the stomach and his head slammed into the otherwise pristine table of her VIP lounge.

"And I think you're forgetting who's in charge here Bora." She growled furiously, no longer preventing Mirajane from walking over, "Here's a news flash, it's not you!"

She jerked her head sharply at Mira, and settled back as Bora was roughly pulled to his feet and dragged out of the club. The pulsing beat washed over her and after a few moments she was able to let her anger go with a sigh and take another sip of her drink.

Mirajane had a sweet face as the manager of her club and bar, but she also had a temper that could rage a mile wide if it was invoked. She was fiercely strong and protective of those she considered her friends and family. Lucy was glad she had won the woman's loyalty long ago.

After all, Mirajane was one of the best enforcers Lucy could ask for.

"You okay boss?" Mirajane asked after she came back from throwing out the trash, leaning into the VIP booth where Lucy sat with her legs crossed. Her eyes were dark with concern, as if she was contemplating going back outside to hook Bora up to the back of a truck about to go off onto the interstate.

Lucy flashed Mira a relaxed smile and tossed her braided hair over a shoulder, "I'm fine. Not feeling much in the mood for a dance anymore I think though. I'm going to head on home while the storm has let up a bit."

"I'll have Elfman walk you out then Boss," Mirajane smiled and looked up to meet the gaze of her clubs bouncer, and her brother, "you shouldn't go out alone with that creep out there."

"Sure sure," Lucy sighed and stood up. She couldn't believe she had actually considered giving Bora the opportunity to fill in the slot as her bodyguard. Mavis only knew how long she had been looking to fill the vacancy, and Bora came with a reputation she thought might be useful.

Unfortunately it turned out to be all talk, not capable of standing up to either one of Lucy's enforcers: Erza or Mirajane. And while she would have had one of them serve as a bodyguard, she trusted them too much to pull their attention from tasks that required their personal input.

"And Mirajane, you don't have to call me Boss when it's just us," Lucy gave her friend an affectionate smile, "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Sorry," Mirajane laughed, not looking apologetic at all, "You're the leader of our little 'guild' after all, it comes with the territory."

Lucy smiled at the word. Guild. It was just a cute way of hiding what they really were. A gang. Even if it was a poorly kept secret that Lucy ran the city of Magnolia and Fairy Tail was the gang that kept its streets clean, no one needed to eavesdrop on that conversation.

"Be safe, text me when you get home okay" Mirajane smiled when Elfman wandered over with a great, big smile.

"I will." Lucy promised, her heart warming at the obvious concern from the older woman. It was nice to have people who worried about her.

She grabbed her purse and stood up, smiling back at Elfman, as usual unable to quite shake the feeling of being dwarfed by the tender hearted man, "Let's go."

"They're pulling the car around now for you Lucy." Elfman replied as he fell into step just behind her.

"I swear you must have mind reading powers or something." Lucy laughed, "All Mira did was glance at you!" She grinned at his blush.

"Practice." He mumbled in embarrassment, and Lucy couldn't quite contain a giggle, her previous bad mood long forgotten.

"So how're things going with your new lady friend?" She asked curiously, not willing to embarrass him too much, "Evergreen I think?"

If anything his blush deepened, but there was absolutely no mistaking his happy grin. Good. She wanted her friends to be happy, and would have been most displeased if Evergreen had been less than good to him. He certainly deserved it.

"I'm glad for you." She told him, patting him on the arm, "You'll have to bring her by sometime so I can meet her."

"You'd probably scare her." Elfman replied wryly, and Lucy affected an innocent expression.

"Me? What could possibly scare her about me?" She replied, batting her eyes, but couldn't maintain the expression long and chuckled.

"Seriously Elfman, I wouldn't be anything less than nice to her."

"I know that." The big man replied affectionately, "I just gotta convince her of that."

He held the door to the outside open for her and Lucy sighed in relief as the cool evening air washed over her. As much as she loved the inside of the club, that moment of transition was always wonderful. The valet held the door to her car open for her and she smiled at him as she slid inside, quietly pleased she wasn't too drunk to drive. With a nod to both Elfman and the valet, with a generous tip to the latter, she drove off into the night.

Ice cream and late night TV with Plu was sounding better and better by the moment.

It was a good thing she left when she did though, because no sooner had she gotten in her car did the rain that had been haunting them begin to pick back up.

She was well on her way down the streets when the heavens themselves opened up to greet her.

Seeing Elfman happy put a smile on Lucy's face, although she couldn't help but admit she was a little jealous of that joy. It's not like she needed someone by her side to take care of her, but she did want a companion to speak with besides Plu. Her little doggy was cute and all, but it made for a very one-sided conversation.

She really had to crack down and find a new bodyguard soon though. She couldn't keep inconveniencing one of the others. They had to come by and check on her every now and then, which she didn't blame them. Her position held a lot of power, which made for a multitude of enemies that needed to be watched out for.

They had other jobs to take care of their attention, and while she knew her friends would never complain about it and even enjoyed her company, she didn't want to keep being a burden on them.

It was just hard to find someone she trusted with such an important task.

She didn't notice as she left the outskirts of the city and into the more wooded area where she lived. Her headlights cut through the heavy rains, thoughts distracted as she ran through the possibilities she could pick to temporarily fill in the space.

Macao? No he had a child he was looking after, and not only that he was starting to get on the older side. Same with Wakaba.

Levy was being tied up with managing forgeries, hacking databases and digital clean up with Jet and Droy. They were all critical to that operation and she couldn't spare them elsewhere, not that Levy was very apt at fighting - which is why Jet and Droy were her assistants.

Lucy sighed, wondering if she could maybe draw Nab away before wondering if she really was going to scrape the barrel that far. Nab? _Really?_ She wasn't that desperate was she?

She gasped, ripped from her thoughts as she rounded a bend.

A man was standing in the middle of the road, his expression dazed and distracted. Lucy let out a gasp, slamming hard on her brakes as the car spun out of her control.

She caught sight enough of the man and a shock of pink hair plastered to his head in the moment right before she lost control of her vehicle.

She wondered if this was where she was going to die, her car fishtailing on an empty road and into a tree. She would be taking down another person with her, someone who looked like they were confused about being out in the middle of the night. A scream bubbled up in the back of her throat, choked back by her fear.

And before she could register it, her car which had been so wild and out of control...

Stopped.

Lucy gasped, trembling hands loosening on the steering wheel. Brown eyes were wide as she stared through her windshield.

The man's hands were the hood of her car, pressing hard into the metal. His jaw was locked with concentration and dark, slanted eyes glared up at her from behind a curtain of wet, pink bangs.

Blood was draining down from several severe looking gashes on his arm, and the man stood in a completely soaked hospital gown. But those fierce eyes didn't flinch away from Lucy's shocked gaze. He rose from his bent over position, flashing Lucy one last glowering look before he disappeared off the side of the road and into the woods.

Like he had been nothing but a dream.

Lucy forced herself to breathe though, collecting her thoughts over what she was trying to understand. A hallucination?

It had to be. There was no way something like that could have happened. Maybe she had drank more than she thought she had?

More than a little shaken at the thought, Lucy sat where she was for several minutes willing her heart to slow down to something resembling a normal pace.

It took far longer than it should've in her opinion.

However, she was eventually able to move without her hands shaking, and she slowly lifted her foot off the brake to finish the trip home. As far as she was concerned, the sooner she got home and out from behind the wheel the better. If she was drunk enough to see things like that, then she didn't even want to think about what else could get her. She really didn't need to be behind the wheel of a car right now.

Fortunately, home wasn't very far away, and it only took a few minutes before she was pulling up a long driveway and into her garage.

Surprisingly small and modest looking for the house of a gang leader, there was little in the way of ostentation. In fact, it looked more like an old style English brick and Tudor country home more than anything.

Naturally, she'd fallen in love with it the moment she'd laid eyes on it.

Sighing in relief as she climbed out of the car she closed the garage and slipped inside, never noticing the mop of rain soaked pink hair watching from the forest. She smiled as Plu bounded up to her, barking happily, and reached down to pat him on the head, the stress of the day and her drive home already melting away.

"Did you have a good day today Plu?" She cooed as she kicked off her heels and padded through the large kitchen and past the library to the stairs.

Plu barked again and she laughed as she walked into her room and began happily stripping down before remembering her promise. She quickly dug out her phone and fired off a text to Mirajane.

_Made it home safe. Watch for the storm. It got worse. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch._

Satisfied, she finished getting out of her clothes and headed straight for her bathroom where a hot soak was calling her name.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Lucy sat at an adorable looking bistro, her legs crossed and looking down at her strawberry cake that was tastefully plated on a small plate. Erza had really outdone herself with the menu here.

It was just after lunch and she was having a bit of a girls day with her favorite ladies. Cana was working, running the bistro and bakery that Erza practically lived at.

The brunette smiled and walked over to where she, Erza, Mirajane and Levy were all sitting.

"So whatcha think bosslady?" Cana asked, looking at the untouched cake on Lucy's plate and then the absolute carnage on Erza's. The redhead had a weakness for sweets that was truly to be feared.

"Don't like it?" Cana frowned, looking a little concerned, "I can get you something else?"

This drew the attention of the other ladies, who were all chattering to one another, but at the idea that something was bothering Lucy... stopped.

"Normally you love the cakes here Lu," Levy looked up from where she was pulling apart a neat little croissant, "it's your favorite!"

Somewhat embarrassed over the attention, Lucy gave Cana a betrayed glared. Cana only smirked back at her boss, unrepentant.

"It's nothing guys. I'm having a great time!" Lucy protested.

In truth her thoughts were occupied. Not by Bora as they had the night before, but the mystery man her mind came up with. The one who had seemingly stopped her car with his bare hands. Or at least narrowly avoided being hit by it.

This morning when she got up, there had been two shallow dents on the hood of her car.

And the sensation of eyes on her.

"It's just, I think there might be someone watching me," Lucy frowned, immediately drawing the attention of Erza and Mirajane.

"Watching how?" Erza asked, alertness seeping into her voice, "for how long have you been experiencing this?"

Lucy had long since given up on trying to ignore her gut feeling when it came to people watching her. She knew she was targeted by many people, and while she could certainly handle herself...

The thought of that fierce eyed man had followed her into her dreams.

"Since last night," Lucy admitted and shook her head, "I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"More than likely not," Erza growled back, leaning back in her seat, "I'll have Jellal swing by your place later on tonight to make sure you're okay. I won't have anyone getting the drop on you while you're looking for someone to fill Leo's old spot as your bodyguard."

"Yeah, hard shoes to fill," Lucy grunted, wondering if she should lower her standards a bit. Or ask if Leo would return back to his position for a bit. She knew he would in a heartbeat if she asked, but he was pursuing his own path now with Aries by managing his own business. Suits and fine apparel. The vain cat.

She knew she could always count on her Zodiac squad whenever she needed them though, but they were all pursuing their own dreams and Lucy didn't want them tied to her instead of doing what they really wanted.

"Don't you even think about lowering your standards," Cana jabbed Lucy on the shoulder, as if reading her thoughts, "You don't want to attract another waste of space like Bora do you?"

Lucy gave Mirajane an offended look.

"Did you tell everyone?" Lucy muttered.

Mirajane only gave a somewhat sheepish laugh.

"Well, it was kind of hard to keep secret!" Mirajane replied with a smile, "You normally stick around the club until the wee hours on Saturday nights, and well..."

"I found Bora sprawled in my trash this morning." Cana smirked, causing Lucy to groan a little.

"Do I even want to know what you did to him that he wound up like that?" She whined plaintively, and was treated to a sea of innocent expressions that didn't fool her one bit. She may have been the mastermind behind their operation, and the primary rulemaker, but every so often her friends went off the rails a little. It was kind of sweet in a violent kind of way.

She snorted a little at the irony of that thought and picked up her fork as she dug into her cake at last, "So where is he now?"

"Sleeping it off in Jellal's drunk tank." Erza replied calmly, "His deputy wasn't too pleased to have to respond to a call at four in the morning from what I understand."

Translation, Midnight had been cranky about having to answer a call right when he was supposed to get off duty. That almost made her feel a little sorry for Bora. Almost.

She bit into her cake and hummed happily at the taste, which had the amusing side effect of making her friends relax, "I'm almost afraid to ask what his medical bills will be like."

"Oh nothing too serious bosslady." Cana cackled, "He just won't be as pretty for a while."

Lucy shook her head in amusement, "You are all ridiculous." She decreed fondly and took another bite, "So, other than my utter lack of ability to find a bodyguard... is there anything new going on?"

She smiled as Levy launched into an excited, if very technical, recitation of the latest hacking techniques she'd picked up from a convention she'd gone to in Crocus during the previous weekend. Lucy honestly couldn't follow more than a quarter of it, but she couldn't help grinning over Levy's excitement anyway. It was contagious.

That didn't stop her from mentally cataloguing things that might be helpful to them however. She was always interested in things that would help keep them on their feet, even if some of them were a bit shady. A view she knew was shared by her closest friends. They were, all of them, survivors after all.

Not one of them had a clean or easy background, and though the stories differed, the tune remained the same. Unwanted children, orphans, runaways, down on their luck... they'd all wound up on the streets for one reason or another, and it was there they'd forged a new family.

Sometimes it still surprised her that they'd managed to pull themselves out of the hole they'd wound up in. By rights they should've become statistics, but they hadn't, and they all credited that to her and her resourceful stubbornness.

Which, she had to admit, was not without merit.

Her background had been no less rocky than theirs, but it _had_ afforded her one advantage many of them had not had. A very fine education. And after she'd turned her back on her old life, disgusted by what she'd seen there, she'd learned to use it ruthlessly to help her new friends. Her new family.

And she felt no regrets.

These people were, all of them, good people. They deserved the chance to be happy, and if she was able to provide that, she would. It was what made them different from other gangs. They didn't mess with drugs, crime, and definitely not prostitution or anything. They didn't even get into extortion or protection rackets. Lucy had no taste for that. She much preferred to deal in information and people networking. It was generally safer, and had the benefit of being legal. Even if some of her sources were a bit shady.

It was how she'd built her little empire.

Granted, it had the drawback of making her seem weak to other gangs. She regularly had to deal with rival gangs who thought they could waltz into her territory and take over simply because she was a woman who _'had no stomach'_ for the harsher sides of gang life.

They generally very quickly learned the error of their ways when she and the others proved that just because they _didn't_ do a thing didn't mean they weren't capable of it.

She had kept her territory for a while now, and turned it into a stable foundation for the town to rely on. Most of the businesses around Magnolia were run thanks to Lucy and her reach.

"Alright ladies," Cana grinned at them as she picked up their dishes, "try not to get into too much trouble with the rest of your day. Mira, I'll see you at your place later today."

"Alright," Mirajane laughed, "I'll save some topshelf for you if you close up your tab."

"Oooh, you know how to talk to a girl," Cana winked and headed back inside.

"I should be heading back too," Lucy swung her purse onto her shoulder, "I've got a few properties I need to look into flipping and Blackstar is looking about expanding their business in town. I want to make sure their permits are safe and up to date before I sell and land to them."

"Alright Lu," Levy smiled as she got up, "I'll see you tonight okay? I want to show you what I managed to pick up at that convention. I think you'll like what I've got!"

"I look forward to it" Lucy grinned back, moving to head back to her car. The other girls began to wander off, but she was stopped by a firm hand around her arm.

Erza was giving her a calm look, hidden by a sweep of red hair. Her gaze was intense, giving Lucy a reminder again of the man's eyes who glared at her from the stormy rain.

"Be careful Lucy. Remember what I taught you," Erza said with a tone that did not allow room for argument, "Jellal will be coming over around six. So don't do anything foolish until then."

"Yes mother," Lucy grinned at her, knowing it was Erza's job to keep her safe. Security and enforcing. That was Erza's skill set. She was very talented with a multitude of things, but keeping Lucy safe probably stressed her out more than anything else.

Erza gave her one short nod before releasing Lucy from her hold and disappearing back where Mirajane and Levy left.

Lucy for her part, realized she was running late with a quick check to her watch and darted off.

She sped back home, burning rubber the entire way back as she sprinted to the door and slid her key into the lock.

At once she noticed something was off when she got into her house. The alarm system was disabled, and that by itself was troubling. More so than that, was the soft rustling noises she could hear coming from the kitchen.

Quietly, Lucy ventured further into her house, hand picking up the baseball bat she had hidden behind the curtain next to her front door's window. She tested its weight in her hands, creeping further inside peering around the corner.

There, in her kitchen and standing in nothing but a hospital gown...

Was the pink haired man from her hallucination.

And it looked like he was trying to consume a box of cereal whole.

Seeing that he was completely distracted, and glancing around the utter wreckage of her home, Lucy crept up on him. Nerves of steel and actually quite annoyed over her ruined kitchen, she cracked the bat straight over the man's head.

She struck him with enough force, the bat split straight down the center, cracking right in half.

And the man, slowly and looking dazed... turned to give her an offended glare, before passing out.

Somewhat shocked that she hadn't killed him outright with that blow, Lucy warily knelt next to him and confirmed that not only was he still breathing, there was no puddle of blood forming under his head.

Baffled by the mystery, she set the bat aside and contemplated what to do with her mystery guest. He was certainly a wreck. Now that she could see him properly, she could tell he was covered in a number of fairly nasty scratches, the worst being on his arms. Though she was interested to note that under the dirt and blood... he was fairly attractive.

Perhaps this was an opportunity?

Her lips curled into a devious smile as she got up, "You stay right there big boy."

She headed for her linen closet, a plan already forming in her head, and pulled out an old sheet. She was hardly a weak woman, or unfit, but anyone who could take a crack to the head like that without dying was bound to be out of the ordinary. And for that she would probably need some help.

She briefly considered calling Elfman or one of the others to help move her guest, but disregarded it almost immediately. The others would probably panic about her safety, and as weird as it sounded that was the one thing she wasn't concerned about. Not yet.

Somehow she doubted her enemies had stooped so low as to send crazed hospital gowned assassins after her. Particularly ones who looked like they were more hungry and homeless than anything.

A situation she entirely sympathized with, even if the guy's solution irritated her.

So she headed back to the kitchen, relieved to find him still unconscious, and spread out her sheet. With a few minutes of effort she got him rolled onto it, amazed by how _heavy_ he was for such a relatively average frame, and carefully secured him before dragging him to her living room. Her sofa had a fold out bed that should do nicely to hold him temporarily if she could get him up on it.

The question was... what did she want him to wake up to?

—::—

Lucy watched her mystery guest as he began to stir about an hour later. Really she was surprised he wasn't suffering some kind of brain damage with that strike, but as he groaned and sat up she couldn't help but notice he was a little cross eyed.

It took him a second to focus on his surroundings, his eyes lingering around his waist where a blanket was hooked over his hips. His eyes trailed over his right arm, bandaged all the way up to his bicep. It disappeared into the sleeve of his hospital gown, showing the extent of how badly that arm had been injured.

He seemed to process this development with a blank expression, as if weighing his options in the face of something confusing like a blanket and first aid.

Lucy took that moment to uncross her legs and stand up, the motion attracting his startling sharp eyes. She didn't let it alarm her though, having been on the other end of gazes with far more dark intent behind them.

"Good morning sunshine, did you have a good nap?" Lucy asked, smiling at him.

His eyes drew over her, assessing her movements without blinking. One moment bled into the next and he seemed to relax. Caution was set in his shoulders, guarded against possible attack.

Considering she had hit him with her car and then a bat, Lucy didn't blame him.

She moved over to a pitcher of ice water and poured a tall glass, watching out of the corner of her eye how he followed her every movement, and made a show of keeping her hands within his sight at all times.

"By rights I should be calling the sheriff you know." She said conversationally as she took a healthy sip of the water and placed the glass within his reach before backing away, "You _did_ break into my house after all."

She eyed him appraisingly, "Though I'm more interested in how you managed to survive both my car crashing into you _and_ what should've been a fatal hit from a baseball bat."

Her guest said nothing, which didn't really surprise her. Even if it did disappoint her some. It looked like she would have to make some extra effort to earn this one's trust. But if she could gain his loyalty, and he proved half as competent as he appeared, this might solve several problems for her all at once.

It didn't hurt that even a superficial cleanup heightened his attractiveness.

They watched each other silently for several moments, neither making a move of any kind, and she finally smiled a little in amusement, "Are you hungry?"

Immediately there was a surge of interest in his eyes that was extremely satisfying to see, but it was immediately quashed by a suspicion she couldn't fault him for.

"I've got some soup on the stove. And there's a shower through there and some clothes beside you that should fit." She went on, having gotten it going shortly after she'd dealt with his wounds, "You're welcome to both. Or you're welcome to leave. The choice is yours really. Though if you choose to leave and cause me further trouble, I won't be so lenient."

The man seemed to regard her with a sense of interest, the threat hidden behind her words a cautionary flag. A slow smirk flickered over his face and he tilted his head towards her, "And what will you do to me if I cause you trouble?"

Lucy was started by his softly spoken words, a low growl that seemed to caress the deepness of his voice. But his silence up until that point caused her to marvel at the sleekness of his voice. And the taunting edge behind it.

"He speaks," Lucy smirked at him, her arms folded over her chest. His eyes followed the motion, locking her into an almost snake-like gaze.

"It depends on the trouble you're going to cause me," Lucy lifted her chin at him, daring him to make some move to make her follow through with her threats.

He snorted, rising up and straightening out his shoulders. The open door policy seemed to be the best course of action as he didn't seem as though he cared much for forced generosity that was just an illusion for a cage. His eyes seemed to find the exits naturally, his countenance that of a captured man.

"Why offer help?" He asked her, seeming to need some elaboration on her actions.

Why?

The question that was asked by people smacked hard too many times by a hand of 'generosity,' Lucy recognized it well.

"Because you're hurt, tired, and clearly without a home," Lucy shrugged, "I offer a safe place to people without those things."

"All from the kindness of your heart." The man drawled in clear disbelief, and it was Lucy's turn to smirk.

"You're half right." She replied, deciding honesty was probably the best policy here, "I do it in part because I've been there." She met his gaze steadily as he raised an eyebrow, "Don't give me that look. I know exactly what it's like to be running from something and on the street."

She shrugged, "So yes, I do like helping people out when I can. No one should have to suffer that." She smirked slightly, "If it turns out they have any skills that might be interesting or helpful to me... well, I would be foolish not to look at cultivating that wouldn't I?"

She watched as he easily read between the lines, and eyed her warily, "And if they don't?"

_Or if they don't want to be cultivated? _ Lucy had no problems reading _that _unspoken question.

She shrugged again, "I never force anyone to do something they don't want to. As long as they leave me and mine alone I'm happy to patch them up as much as they'll let me and send them on their way."

It was a policy she'd developed at the start, and one that had earned her unwavering loyalty and friendship of people she might never have had using other means. A fact that had proved itself over and over again to the chagrin of her enemies.

One really did catch more flies with honey than vinegar after all.

He watched her, his expression neutral but it was clear he was fighting with himself over what was directly in front of him and what his instincts were no doubt screaming at him.

"Everyone has an ulterior motive. I should be grateful yours is at least on the surface," the man nodded, brushing his fingers through his bangs and closing his eyes.

"I'll take that shower," he spoke quiet, his expression losing some of its fierce edge as he conceded to the help she was offering him. Lucy didn't know if he planned on dining and dashing, but getting him to stay part of the way was bound to get her foot in the door of winning his trust.

Her hand waved towards the staircase, his eyes following the path. Without saying another word, he stood up and headed towards a shower and fresh change of clothes.

Pleased she had made strides in winning over her new roommate, Lucy made sure to get the soup ready. She gathered some supplies and set to work on a special treat. Mostly for herself, but her mystery stranger was welcome to some too if he wanted it.

Hot chocolate had a way of soothing her mind and putting all of her fears at ease. It was a gentle way of centering herself, especially with how hectic her life could sometimes be. It reminded her of her mother's sweet smile and a fluffy blanket wrapped around her shoulders, a book buried in her lap.

Hot chocolate gave her the memory of her mother's voice and laugh, her melodic way of speaking as she told stories of adventures, heroes, princesses and their daring escapes against dragons and pirates.

By the time she was done stirring the homemade hot chocolate, her companion returned, thudding down the steps with steam still rising from his body.

Lucy glanced at him, mouth going dry at the sight of him standing barefoot in her kitchen. He wore light gray sweatpants and a dark green tank top that was stretched over a muscular chest. Even Lucy was taken a bit back, as she had known he was obviously strong from how he handled that car, but that hospital gown had been so formless it had been hard to see anything definitive about him.

His shoulders were broad, perfect for Lucy to curl her fingers around and hold onto. His arms were cut, each twist and flex drawing Lucy's attention to the way he moved. It was extremely distracting.

"Oh you're out," Lucy said, somewhat faint at the sight of him, "I've got your soup on the table, and a mug of my famous hot chocolate here."

"Hot chocolate?" he repeated, speaking as if not understanding what she said.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Lucy blinked a little at his confusion. Had he never had hot chocolate before? It wasn't the first time she'd encountered that phenomena, but usually she only saw it in the poorest and most desperate of street kids. Something that had become less and less of a thing as she'd taken over Magnolia.

That was hardly a reason to deprive him though.

Instead she grinned and offered him the mug, "Give it a try." She encouraged him, "You might really like it."

He took the mug suspiciously, eyeing it as though he'd never even heard of such a thing, and returned his gaze to her. Not at all put off by his suspicion she pulled over her own mug and poured another one for herself. She pretended not to notice as he watched her doctor it with only what was on the counter in his plain view, and take a sip.

"Mmmmmmm..." She hummed happily, unable to fake her enjoyment if she'd tried.

She smiled as he gave the mug a couple of sniffs and then took a tiny taste that was mostly whipped cream and cinnamon. He smacked his lips a little uncertainty, as if the idea of something sweet was new and foreign. Which... maybe it was?

However, it only took a moment before his entire expression morphed into one of wonder, and Lucy had to bite her tongue not to cackle in triumph.

"What _is_ this?" He asked, though he refrained from taking another sip right away. Someone had clearly done a very severe number on this guy for him to be that damn suspicious of everything.

And Lucy was pretty sure that wasn't her fault.

"Hot chocolate." She replied.

"I mean..." He frowned as he groped for the right words, "What is chocolate? And why this stuff sweet?" He licked his lips and took another sip as nothing happened to him, "I didn't know food could be this sweet."

The last was muttered to himself, but Lucy still caught it. It took all her willpower not to gape at him in shock. Just what the hell had this poor bastard been through? Against her will, her heart reached out to him like it had years ago to Erza and Levy and all the others.

A dollap of whipped cream dotted his nose and he wiped it away, distracted more by his choice of drink. He seemed very fond of the hot chocolate if the careful sips he kept taking were any indication.

She didn't get the impression he was trying to stop himself from burning his tongue. No, she got the feeling he was savoring the drink, trying to memorize the strangeness of something new.

It was so unusual that Lucy said nothing as he ate and then finished off his hot chocolate. She sipped at her own, occasionally blowing away the steam that drifted from the top of her cup.

Once she was finished though, her guest settled himself quietly in front of the empty plate and cup and then lifted his gaze up to hers. He nodded at her, and Lucy figured that was his way of expressing thanks for not poisoning him with her generosity.

"What's your name?" Lucy asked him, venturing close enough to have a proper conversation but not too deep to invade her space.

He gave her another confused look, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I don't have a name," he replied back to her, looking at her as if she were a particularly slow infant.

"My designation is Salamander," he spoke instead, as if wondering if that was perhaps what she was asking.

Lucy frowned outright at that.

Designation?

"No..." She replied slowly, "No, I didn't mean that."

She was cut off from saying anything else as someone knocked on her door, causing them both to jump. She saw, Salamander, tense defensively and waved at him, "It's alright. I'll deal with it."

She made her way to the door, figuring it was probably Jellal. He was considerably earlier than Erza had suggested, but if the redhead was that worried about her safety, which was likely, then he might've decided to check on her sooner.

That didn't stop her from subtly arming herself before answering the door though.

Thankfully, she was greeted with a mop of blue hair and a gentle smile.

"I'll have you know that you have some very irate Blackstar people waiting on confirmations that haven't arrived yet." He told her by way of greeting, his lips twitched into a faintly amused smile.

Lucy snorted as she set down her spare bat by the door and stepped aside to let him in, "I emailed them about that earlier. If they can't be bothered to check their messages that's on them."

Jellal raised an eyebrow as he stepped inside, "Oh? Did something happen?"

"To say the least." Lucy sighed, knowing she couldn't exactly keep Salamander a secret for long, "I came home and discovered my watcher attempting to devour my kitchen whole."

She saw his eyes widen and waved him off, "Relax. It's fine. Let me introduce you."

Salamander was cautious, standing in the kitchen and giving Jellal a distrustful glare. He stood closest to the oven, positioning himself in the furthest point away from where Jellal was standing.

He walked in with Lucy, his own gaze falling on the skittish man.

"Lucy, who is this?" He asked, curious despite himself over who this man could be.

"Don't know, he calls himself Salamander but I don't think that's his real name. He might come from another gang from some towns over, but he's kind of been in a bit of a hole," Lucy admitted to her friend, who was eyeing the pink haired man with poorly disguised interest.

"Salamander, huh..." Jellal frowned and looked at the way Salamander stalked in the kitchen, each step aggressive and looking for an exit.

"And you are?" Salamander growled back at him, not liking being at a disadvantage.

It was clear he hated being outnumbered with an unknown element, his patience rapidly draining away as each second ticked by. He was barely beginning to trust Lucy, and Jellal's appearance was exacerbating him.

"Jellal, I'm a friend of Lucy's. I see she's shown you her usual warm welcome," Jellal introduced himself, cautiously approaching the man who only growled in response to his approach. Jellal held still while Salamander shifted his weight.

Salamander's nose twitched, his eyes narrowing on Jellal into slits, but saying nothing.

"It's alright." Lucy soothed, "Jellal is the sheriff, but he's not going to hurt you. He came by to check on me because I sensed someone watching me last night and this morning before I left. I'm guessing that was probably you?"

Salamander shifted his gaze to her for a moment and nodded tersely.

"See?" Lucy smiled at Jellal, but was greeted with a flatly unamused expression.

"Erza is going to kill us." He told her, "First me for not checking up on you sooner, and then you for taking a risk like this."

Lucy flushed a bit, but sighed and leaned against a counter, "He's not one of my enemies Jellal. Or an assassin sent by one. When I walked in he was wearing a hospital gown, covered in dirt and scratches, and trying to break into a box of cereal. Whatever Salamander's story is... it's not that."

She looked over at the nervous man who looked like he hadn't decided yet if he wanted to bolt or attack, "And you're still free to go whenever you want. I won't stop you from that. And I promise no harm will come to you as long as you don't attack anyone while you're here. Alright?"

Salamander looked like he wasn't sure if it was alright at all, and neither did Jellal, but at least it got the pink haired man to stop pacing.

Lucy smiled a little, "Alright, now how about we all sit down again?" She suggested, "I'll make more of my hot chocolate and we can talk."

Salamander eyed Jellal, who stared back at him unwaveringly, "Why does she have assassins after her?"

The unexpected question, demanded more than asked, surprised Lucy and she froze mid step, "What?"

Salamander shifted his gaze to her, "Why do you have assassins after you?" He asked again, "You said you cultivate people. What is it you really do?"

Lucy paused and considered that for a moment before her stance shifted subtly, "That _is_ what I do." She replied calmly, "I cultivate talent and people into a network." A faint smirk pulled at her lips, "A network that can do anything I need it to any time I need it. Anything. And not everyone likes the idea of me having that much power. Particularly those who want to take over the very rich territory we've built for ourselves here."

Salamander tilted his head to the side and frowned slightly, his eyes glittering with recognition, "you're a gang leader. A boss with connections to the underground. I see."

"That's why you have him in your pocket," Salamander nodded at Jellal, "he smells like a hospital. I don't like it."

"Hospital?" Jellal repeated, his brow furrowing at Salamander's choice of words. It went ignored for the moment as Salamander focused on Lucy instead.

"I'll stay for now. I doubt you'll find a use for me though, I don't have any skills worth noting," Salamander muttered, "I can leave whenever I want?"

"Of course," Lucy allowed, somewhat pleased he had agreed. She could tell despite his words that he was curious about her. And that he had a treasure trove of skills waiting to be unearthed. He just didn't want to tip his hand too soon.

That wasn't a problem, Lucy liked that he was playing his cards close to his chest.

It showed he had a bit of a skill for reading his environment.

She smiled again and resumed her trip back over to the stove to make up another batch of chocolate. An action that Natsu gracefully moved aside to allow, without any further growls or glares.

A few minutes later, she was passing out mugs to the other two, though Salamander remained warily out of Jellal's reach. That was fine by her. Trust took time, and they'd only just begun. Thankfully, they had time and there was plenty of time.

It wasn't until much later in the evening, when she was finally saying her goodnights to Salamander after showing him his room, that it dawned on her that Levy had never come by.

The realization had her frowning a little, but she decided to investigate it in the morning. It wasn't the first time Levy had gotten excited about something and lost track of time, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

-::-

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Lucy exclaimed into the phone.

She paced the length of her kitchen restlessly, ignoring the way Plu was alternating between begging for bacon from her and from Natsu.

"I'm sorry Lucy." Jet sighed on the other side, "She left to go see you around eight last night, and that was the last we saw of her. We thought she'd just gone straight home or stayed over at your place. It wasn't until you called we knew anything different."

Lucy scowled and mentally counted to ten, reminding herself it wasn't their fault. Jet and Droy might be Levy's bodyguards, but her visits over were routine enough it wasn't a surprise her friend had blown them off.

"Alright." She replied, "Keep looking. Have you let Jellal know yet?"

"Droy's on the phone with him now." Jet confirmed, "But it hasn't been twenty-four hours yet."

"I don't much care." Lucy growled, "Levy's one of us, and if I have to turn all of Fiore inside out to find her I will. Keep me posted alright?"

"Will do boss!" Jet replied briskly and ended the call.

Lucy sighed as she carefully set the phone down on the counter, not wanting to fling it across the room in a fit of pique, and gripped the counter hard. She couldn't go to pieces over this. She couldn't. Levy needed her now more than ever, and Lucy would be damned if she didn't come through for her friend.

"Your friend is missing?" Salamander asked, his voice just a murmur in the quiet of the kitchen. It caused Lucy to jolt, having almost forgotten he was there by how still he was sitting.

He wasn't looking at her, but staring intensely at his plate, his hand holding a piece of bacon out for Plu to steal.

Her puppy snapped up the bacon and darted off with his treat to eat in piece, but Salamander didn't seem to care as his eyes lifted up to Lucy's face.

"Yeah," Lucy breathed out, rubbing her fingertips against her temple, shaking her head in shakey despair.

Salamander nodded in understanding, a sigh dragging from his lungs. Lucy didn't know this was a problem he could help with, but he didn't expect something like this to crop up so soon.

For a moment he considered not even bringing it up to her. Let her struggle to find the pieces she wanted. He didn't need to be her pawn.

But at the way she was struggling to keep even the strongest of pretenses up while her friend was missing...?

It touched something in his heart.

"Do you have something that belongs to her?" Salamander questioned, "I can find her scent."

"Her scent?" Lucy asked, finding the request exceedingly strange. Salamander gave her a sour look, feeling like perhaps it wasn't normal to be able to find someone with their scent alone like Lucy's tone implied.

"I can track," Salamander explained with a touch of impatience. As if it wasn't odd to track someone on foot in the middle of the city.

"With your nose?" Lucy clarified with a bit of a disbelieving smile.

That only seemed to make Salamanders mood sour and he curled his hands around the cup of orange juice she provided him for breakfast.

"Don't believe me then, you've just spent all morning chasing your own tail," Salamander returned his full attention back to his breakfast.

Lucy felt a stab of guilt at the sulky response. That was not the response she'd been expecting. She'd honestly been half expecting him to laugh at her. Was it possible he really could do what he said? The very idea seemed preposterous, but well a lot of things about her guest were odd already. And it wasn't like she was making any headway otherwise.

Deciding maybe a leap of faith was in order, if he was still willing to do it, she moved out of the kitchen and into the hall closet where she pulled out a bandanna. She held it close for a moment and headed back, noticing that Salamander had pointedly not looked up from his scrambled eggs.

"I've never heard of anyone who can track anyone by smell before." She told him as she approached, watching the way his shoulders tensed, "Especially in a city like Magnolia." She held out the bandanna to him, "But if you really can do what you say... please?"

He looked up at her slowly and she met his gaze steadily, "I may not be the most morally pristine person around, but Levy's one of my oldest friends. There's not much I wouldn't do for her."

Salamander felt that warm spot in his heart again. There was no lie in her eyes. She didn't understand his ability, but for the sake of her friend she was willing to trust it. To trust him. Even going so far as to plead for it.

That was a dedication he could respect.

He gently took the bandanna from her and stood up, "If your friend can be found, I'll find her."

Lucy nodded, silently vowing that if he could find Levy then even if he had no other skill to his name she would offer him a job and whatever training he wanted, "Give me five minutes to get ready."

She got ready in a rush, stuffing herself into a pair of rolled up pants and a striped tank top. She threw her hair up into a high pony tail and dragged herself back downstairs.

Her cheeks were a little flushed as she spotted Salamander waiting by the stairs, fingers curled loose around her friends headband.

There was an urgency in his eyes she noticed and she fell into step beside him as they left her house. When approaching her car though, Salamander faltered.

He looked as if there were something crawling in his gut and trying to die there.

"Come on Salamander what's the hold up?" Lucy asked, now a touch impatient at his hesitation. Hadn't he been the one acting all sulky earlier?

Still, he stared at the car like it was going to bite him.

Salamander scowled ferociously at the car for a long moment, as if it was personally responsible for all the problems in his life, before reluctantly prowling towards it. Lucy watched with a mix of confusion and impatience as he stalked towards the passenger door muttering something that sounded like 'evil death trap' under his breath.

She shook her head a little as she slid behind the wheel, confused but not willing to delay longer asking about it, "So how do you want to work this?"

Salamander grimaced as he pulled the passenger door closed, "Take me to the place she was last seen at." He replied, "I can re-trace her passage from there as long as we don't use this thing."

"You have a problem with cars?" Lucy asked as she started the engine, and her question was immediately answered as Salamander clutched his stomach and turned green.

"Just get us there okay?" He wheezed, looking like he was trying to choke back bile. Which, he probably was actually.

She nodded hastily and pulled out, silently thanking her lucky stars that she'd gotten a new car relatively recently, and it purred as smoothly as a car was able. If Salamander acted like this with her car she wasn't sure she wanted to see him in something bumpier.

Fortunately, the ride wasn't too long. Levy liked living in the city, but she preferred one of the quieter canal areas to some of the louder parts of the city, and it was only ten minutes before Lucy was pulling to a stop in front of Levy's townhouse.

Immediately Salamander opened the door and practically oozed out in a puddle of sweat, "I hate those things." He groaned as she leapt out and joined him, "Really. Who invented those things?"

"That is a serious case of motion sickness you have there Salamander." Lucy noted as he began clawing himself upright, "Are you going to be alright?"

Salamander grunted and gave her car a mean look, some color beginning to return to his cheeks the longer he was out of the car.

"My inner ear is ruined," Salamander growled as way of explanation, "if I'm in something that moves independent to me, I get sick."

He huffed out a breath of air, his eyes closing as he tried to take in the crispness of his environment.

Without waiting for her to respond though, he lifted the bandana to his face and sniffed the fabric. It was an action that looked strange, and under different circumstances might even seem creepy. But Salamander's face was focused, not taking any prolonged interest in his task save for locating his target.

He walked over to Lucy and nodded his head, pulling her attention towards where his eyes were focused.

"She went on foot, she like to walk?" Salamander asked as they headed off past Levy's business without pausing to head inside.

"Sometimes, the night air sometimes helped clear her head when Jet and Droy gave her a migraine through the day," Lucy admitted, somewhat surprised by his fast deduction.

He didn't say anything in response to that, only nodding and walking without taking a moment to pause.

She caught up with him, feeling rather foolish for following a man who was more likely than not just wasting her time. Still they had come out this far so she had every intention to see this thing through.

They walked in companionable silence, the air a little awkward between them as Salamander stride a few steps ahead to lead them.

The path was different from the one Levy usually took, branching away from the lights and streets of people who could see. Lucy frowned, wondering if Salamander was perhaps leading her in circles.

After all, who was this man? For all Lucy knew, she could be traveling with the man responsible for taking Levy. He had showed up the day after, mysterious and in Lucy's Home.

And the further he lead her down the paths, the more suspicious she grew until finally she stopped and grabbed his wrist.

His eyes slanted back at her, silent in their question over why she had halted their progress. Lucy's aching feet spoke clear messages over how far they had walked aimlessly, and she was growing frustrated with his non-verbal answers.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Lucy demanded.

Salamander watched her for a moment and pulled his hand from her grasp, a wry smirk flashing over his face, "So untrusting."

He pointed towards the ground near The base of a tree. In the pine straw, a light blue phone case was peeking out of the foliage.

"That has her scent on it," Salamander murmured, his brow furrowing as he sniffed around the clearing, "the scents get mixed up though. She wasn't alone. It's like someone joined her and there was a scuffle. It smells like—"

Abruptly he cut off, his nose wrinkling.

"—nothing... but she was taken here."

Lucy's heart wrenched in her chest as she reached out and carefully pulled the phone out and wrapped it in a handkerchief. She was desperate to check the phone for any possible clues. Anything that would tell her what had happened to her friend. But she knew better than to mess with the phone too much. It was evidence now, and there was a chance whoever had taken Levy left a set of prints behind that could be traced.

"Can you tell where she was taken from here?" She asked lowly, fury combating worry and grief. There were so many possible scenarios. So many horrible things that could've happened to her friend. Just the thought made her nauseous.

Salamander was quiet for a moment and he shook his head.

Not having expected anything else, though she was beyond grateful he got her this far, Lucy nodded and pulled out her own phone. A glance at the reception had her grimacing. There wasn't anything reliable out here. The trees broke up the signal too much.

That didn't stop her from trying to dial Jellal, and to her surprise it actually went through.

"Sheriff Fernandez." He answered crisply, sounding more than a little stressed as he did.

"Jellal." Lucy exclaimed, "I'm glad I reached you. Listen, my signal might go any second. I found where Levy was taken."

"You what?" Jellal yelped, "How? No, never mind that, where are you?"

Lucy squinted back the way they'd come, and glanced at Salamander.

"Quarter mile south-southwest of the 110 mile marker." He replied promptly, either guessing her question or overhearing the conversation. Lucy wasn't really sure which.

"I'm on my way." Jellal replied, "Don't move, and don't let anything else happen to the scene."

"Got it, Ill see you soon," Lucy responded, lifting her chin to Salamander in thanks. She disconnected the call, drawing a sigh from the core of her being.

This was one step closer to where they needed to go, One step closer to find her friend.

Salamander was helpful in this situation and even if he hadn't found Levy he had brought them closer than they had before. It seemed like Lucy would owe him after all.

Him and his weird nose.

It almost made her feel a level of guilt. She hadn't been entirely honest with him. After all what kind of gang leader would she be if she didn't take measure against an unknown man.

She wanted to know who he was. Something besides his nickname.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Salamander watched the bustle of activity that was the sheriff's office with open curiosity. He'd heard about such places in training, and had even seen pictures, but somehow that failed to translate the sheer amount of activity a place like this had.

Magnolia wasn't a huge city, but it was big enough, and the office reflected that. Everywhere he looked something was happening. Phones were ringing, people were shouting, drunks and other lowlifes were being brought in with handcuffs. He heard snippets about forensics, and barked orders about a domestic disturbance on Strawberry Street. The air was filled with the scent of stale coffee, gunmetal, chemicals, and leather.

It was distracting.

It was _wonderful._

No matter how much the agency had pushed them, forced knowledge into their heads, there had never been anything like this. And Salamander soaked up every bit of the newness with a sense of awe he wasn't entirely sure he could hide.

Inside the sheriff's personal office Lucy and Jellal were having a discussion that was maybe half a step away from heated if their body language was any indication. He could hear them talking, though he was having some trouble making out the exact words with all the other noise and bustle around, and it seemed Lucy was getting more upset. Probably because her friend hadn't been found yet.

He still wasn't entirely sure what to think about that concept. Friendship wasn't something the agency had taught them. Though he had to appreciate that a proud looking woman like Lucy would go to such lengths for it.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as their voices lowered and Jellal murmured something that had Lucy slumping a bit in defeat. She eventually nodded unhappily, a gesture he was entirely too familiar with, and picked up her purse as Jellal opened the door.

"I promise. As soon a we get even a hint of a lead we'll let you know."

"Thanks Jellal." Lucy sighed, not looking at all like the woman Salamander had woken up to. Or even the woman who had slipped a sedative in his soup the night before. She just looked tired, and it wasn't a look becoming of a gang leader.

Still, he said nothing as he moved to rejoin her, and followed her back out to the nauseating death traps called cars. Though not before he caught a glimpse of an intense look from the blue haired sheriff. And suspicion?

He snorted a little. If this kept up he'd be convinced that everyone on the outside were suspicious of everything.

The thoughts were wiped from his mind the moment he got in the mobile death machine though. He was too awash with feelings of nausea and vomit to concentrate on anything else.

By the time Lucy got back to her home, Salamander stumbled out barely able to keep himself upright. The ground evened out under his feet, eyes drifting over to the picturesque looking home that greeted them.

It was rare, but in occasion when he had been a child they would be shown fairy tales to read. Lucy's home looked very much like it belonged on the pages of those old fables. That was the reason Natsu had been drawn to it.

It looked like one of the few good things he could remember from when he was younger before things got fuzzy.

He made it back inside in one piece, drifting back into the kitchen and sniffed around to find something to eat. Lucy was funny with her attempts to hide her clever drugs in his food.

He understood why she did it. It kept the playing field as even as possible, and Salamander wasn't going to call her out on it either. It was a card he could keep up his own sleeve to use when he needed. Let her think her mild sedatives worked on him.

He had been poked and prodded with far worse than what equates to Tylonel PM crushed in his soup.

Still, he was just as happy to find some uncontaminated... somethings. He wasn't actually sure what the little round things were, but they were sweet and the taste kind of reminded him of the hot chocolate stuff from the night before.

Deciding that anything related to that mug of heaven couldn't be bad he settled in to munch on them while he watched Lucy on the phone, issuing orders and giving updates to her gang. It was fascinating to watch. Especially the complex play of emotions working across her face. No matter how she tried to hide it, and he didn't think she was trying all that hard at the moment, he could see everything.

She truly cared.

It was weird to think, but she really truly cared.

The concept baffled him for several minutes, must as the concept of friendship had, until it slowly dawned on him that maybe what she was referring to was like the feeling he had for Black Steel and Demon Slayer.

They weren't... friends. He was fairly sure of that. Not even in their joint training exercises had given them the kind of familiarity he'd seen Lucy show Jellal.

But there was a small ache in his chest when he thought about them, about how they weren't out and he was. He... missed their presence.

Surely they would've been just as baffled by all the strange things that hadn't been covered in their training. It would've been nice to have some company.

His attention was pulled back to the present as Lucy hung up the phone with a sigh, "I have to go Salamander. I have a couple things I have to take care of, and I can't put them off."

His stomach churned at the thought of _another_ trip in that deathmobile, but to his surprise she waved him back when he moved to put his food away.

"Don't worry about it." She told him, "I won't force you back into the car again. And since you're not a member of Fairy Tail you can't participate in the meetings anyway."

He raised an eyebrow, "You're going to trust me in your home alone?"

Lucy gave him a grim smile that was more a showing of teeth than anything, "I think after what you did earlier you've earned a little trust. And you know what would happen if you betrayed it."

"You broke your bat," Salamander pointed out, going for a break of humor that had a trace of a smile darting over Lucy's face.

"I'll get creative," she curled her finger around her keys and jingled them in a motion that was far more threatening due to its association with her mobile deathtrap.

"I'll be back soon, try not to burn the house down," Lucy replied and headed out the door, locking it neatly behind her.

Salamander huffed out his nose and made to get to the freezer and root around there for anything else he could find to snack on. The delightful mug of liquid Lucy made him seemed like it was complicated and Salamander was certain he wouldn't be able to replicate its magic.

He made his way to one of Lucy's abnormally comfortable chairs and sank into one, curling up on the pile of cushions and blankets. He nibbled on a variety of other things, wanting to try a little of everything.

He made his way through a great number of pre-sealed bags, a carton of some sweet frozen treat, more of the soup from the previous night, and almost an entire loaf of bread.

He was just about to make his way through some crispy looking wafer things when the sound of a car pulling up in Lucy's driveway caught his attention.

It didn't have the same gentle humming Lucy's car did, this one sounded significantly cheaper, and Salamander lifted his head up to watch the door.

The car shut off after a few moments, and a moment later there was the sound of the car door slamming and the sound of footsteps that were almost familiar.

The thought tugged at his brain as he waited, caught somewhere between tense and curious as the steps halted and there was a brisk knock that had Lucy's dog running over to the door barking his head off.

His curiosity won out as he unfolded himself from the chair and got up. Though no sooner had he done so then a key rattled in the lock and the Sheriff himself walked in.

The blue haired man was not smiling as he glanced around and zeroed in on him, an action that prompted him to raise an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "Lucy's not here." He informed the man shortly, "She went to take care of some business."

"That's good." Jellal replied, his stance shifting into something Salamander was _far_ more familiar with. A kind of liquid grace that screamed menace and he'd only seen before in Black Steel and Demon Slayer, "Because I'm here to see you."

Salamander frowned, shifting into a more combative stance without thinking, "Why d'you want to see me?"

Jellal met his eyes fiercely, "Because you're the only one who can tell me just how much the Agency knows about me."

Salamander didn't blink, a slow smirk floating to his face. He pushed back the shock, ignoring the tremor in his fists over the sheriff cornering him like this. He had known Jellal was fishy. He had that smell to him. The scent of hospitals and poison that leeched onto him like a fog. Nothing could ever get rid of it, not even time.

"How much does Lucy know?" he asked instead, figuring there was no point in lying to this man. He was a part of the same organization that made Salamander. The same one he had fought and scratched and dragged himself to freedom in his attempts to escape.

He wasn't going back there. Salamander would rather end up in a bodybag than return to what was certainly hell awaiting him.

"She doesn't know anything, and that's how it needs to stay," Jellal shot back at him. His expression was dark with the promise of pain and Salamander growled back in equal warning.

"Or what?" Salamander purred back, planting his feet and lowering his center of gravity. He wasn't intending on going back, and if he rattled Jellal it would give Salamander enough time to put him in the ground and make his escape.

"Or nothing." Jellal declared angrily as he dropped into a crouch, his distinctive gold power flaring. He regretted there was a high chance Lucy's house would be harmed, but it was a small price to pay for silencing Salamander. For maintaining his freedom from them.

For Erza.

The years since he'd escaped that hell had been some of the most terrifying, and wonderful, of his life. And he was not about to give that up. Not even if it meant he had to kill.

Salamander's eyes widened a little at the sight. It couldn't be!

"The Wizard Saint?" He breathed in mingled shock and awe.

He'd heard of Wizard Saint before. They all had. The first, and arguably the most powerful, success of the Agency. They'd seen footage of his training and techniques as a kid and teenager, but they'd never met him.

Now Salamander knew why.

The highest of missions. The most complete training. Total infiltration and cover. It wasn't surprising really. Magnolia was the first city he'd come across since his escape. They would have to be idiots not to have an agent here, and he kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner.

It was a shame. He'd been starting to like the set up here in this strange place with it's weird gang leader.

He narrowed his eyes as fire engulfed his fists, "Sorry pal. You may be the first of us, but I ain't letting you drag me back to that place!"

He just had time to register the confusion on Jellal's face before his attention was jerked away by the sound of footsteps rushing towards them and a blur of blond hair nearly skidded inside.

"Jellal! I saw your... car-" Lucy began only to stumble to a halt and gape at the scene before her.

Her eyes fell over the two men about to come to blows, fire crackling around Salamander's fists while shimmering gold pulsed just around Jellal's hands.

Her jaw went slack at the sight, not even she with all her clever wit and understanding could understand what she was standing witness to.

"What is- your hands-" Lucy stared, her mind having trouble connecting the dots to what was happening in her living room.

The fire smoked away from Salamander's hands at once over the sight of her confusion, and he gave her a wide eyed look, "Lucy!"

Jellal, in his distraction also lowered his hands, fingers flexing, "Lucy, I thought you would be gone longer."

"I saw you pulling into my driveway," Lucy murmured, voice quiet, "I thought you might have had news on Levy."

Jellal was unable to respond, because in that moment Salamander surged back into motion when his attention was pulled away by Lucy.

Taking advantage of his distraction with a ruthlessness that wasn't to be taken lightly, a ball of fire slammed Jellal square in the chest. The sheriff let out a surprised shout as he went slamming into Lucy's credenza in the hallway, toppling over it and sending the decorative table smashing to the floor.

Salamander was on him in a second, not allowing even a breath to pass between them. He rushed unfazed through the flames, his hand wrapping around Jellal's face as scorching flames raced up his arm.

"I'm not going back into the cage, you'll have to kill me first," Salamander snarled, fire licking at the corners of his mouth. He took in a lungful of air, fire burning in the back of his throat as he prepared to melt the flesh from Jellal's bones.

He was designated as the Wizard Saint. And while he was powerful, Jellal was not designed to take as much punishment as Salamander was.

Jellal was not the Wizard Saint for nothing however. No sooner had Salamander taken his breath than Jellal slammed a hard knee into his diaphragm. The resulting choking and gagging as Salamander struggled to maintain control over his magic was more than enough leeway for him to wriggle free and land a harsh blow to the back of Salamander's neck.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He snarled, his magic flaring again, "You're the one the agency sent to bring me in!"

He was stopped by the sound of a gunshot and his head whipped around to Lucy, who was scowling fiercely at them both.

She lowered the gun and pointed it at them, "I don't know what the hell is going on here, or how you're doing that, but the next one to make a move I don't like will be shot. Is that clear?"

"Lucy..." Jellal started, but he carefully remained where he was. He knew Lucy was serious. And a good shot. He'd taught her himself, and they regularly hung out at the gun range together.

"That's better." She said after a moment, when neither man moved, "Now how about you explain just what's going on here, and why you're fighting in my house!"

Jellal and Salamander glanced at each other, distrust plain, before Jellal sighed.

"You remember when we first met?" He asked, "I told you I'd escaped some bad people, and you helped me create a new identity as Jellal."

Lucy nodded warily, "You said it was a bad place and you never wanted to go back."

"That's entirely true." Jellal replied easily despite his tension, "The agency was a horrible place. They kidnapped me when I was little and experimented on me. They wanted to create a super soldier. One capable of using magic."

"And they succeeded?" Lucy asked in disbelief, though the evidence was right before her eyes.

Jellal nodded again, "Their lead scientist had figured out how to scientifically measure magic, and how to bring it out in people. The process was... imperfect. I was the first success. When I was fifteen I found a way to escape, and destroyed the lab in the process. I thought they would abandon the project after that until _he_ showed up."

He glared at Salamander, "Natsu Dragneel. Codename Salamander. Younger brother of Zeref Dragneel. The bastard who destroyed my life."

Salamander blinked at that, his head tilting slowly but his eyes were narrowing and a growl building in his chest.

He warred mentally for the moment between the fanciful story Jellal was saying, but Salamander slowly clung onto the one thing that took him by surprise more than anything.

"Nats...u?" He repeated, his brow furrowing as he slowly lifted his hands.

"You're a liar," he hissed, soft as he glared at Jellal, "no one escapes the Agency. _No one_."

"You're still with them," Salamander surged upright, uncaring if he was shot by Lucy or not. His eyes blazed with rage, "How else would you know that name? I didn't even know it!"

"Zeref never called me by my name," Salamander advanced towards Jellal, his sharp teeth baring into a threatening snarl, "you know more about me than I ever knew about you."

Jellal snorted and pulled a file out of his inner coat pocket, "It's a matter of public record."

"You ran his prints already?" Lucy asked in surprise.

Jellal nodded, "I got suspicious when you said his only name was Salamander, but I wasn't certain. So I ran them last night. He's a hell of a lot older than the last known pictures of him, but it's definitely him."

Lucy lowered her gun and stepped forward, hoping she wasn't about to get roasted for doing so. She pulled the slightly battered and singed folder from Jellal's hand and flipped it open.

"This is legitimate." She confirmed and held it up for Natsu to see.

There was very little information on there. No more than a few pages really. But the most prominent was the picture of a very small Natsu grinning broadly for the camera as he held onto a much younger looking Zeref's hand.

An icy pit formed in his stomach as he snatched the file from her hands and his eyes roamed over it, "This... isn't possible."

But it was. He'd been taught how to recognize official police documents. And how to fake them. It was tempting to believe that Wizard Saint might've done just that, but even he knew less than twenty-four hours wasn't long enough to make a forgery this good.

Which meant it was the truth.

He suddenly felt like he was back in Lucy's car as he read over the scant summary of information. He had a name. And a past. It was mind boggling. But it was there. His birth certificate with his parents listed. The missing persons report filed when he was four years old... all of it.

"But no one escapes the Agency!" He snarled angrily, though he was no longer certain just who he was angry at.

"You did." Lucy said quietly, pulling his attention squarely onto her, "Didn't you? That's why you were still in a hospital gown that night, and when we met. You just escaped a few days ago."

Salamander stared at her, his mouth falling open and closing.

"Maybe I thought I had," Salamander -or rather Natsu- met her eyes, "but your friend went missing the day after you met me."

He lifted the folder, "Right after these were sent into the system, yeah?"

"I smelled them in the clearing. The scent of a lab and chemicals," Natsu confessed with quiet reluctance, "they're hunting, and they won't stop until they find me."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Levy was pushed into a dark room, her body being flung against the unyielding wall. Her fingers grasped for a hand hold, the slippery surface oozing under her fingertips and making it difficult for her to hold on.

The room was cramped, extremely chilly, and with no color save the blankness of flat, gray walls.

The ceiling leaked, drops falling with pitter-patter like rhythm into an empty pail that stood alone to collect the water.

By drawing her attention to the bucket, she caught sight of a broad looking man with wild hair and mean looking red eyes glaring back at her.

"H-hello?" she trembled out, daring to inch closer to the hulking man.

Terror trembled at Levy's arms, shaking up to her very core. This wasn't a situation she found herself in very often. She wasn't like Erza, Mirajane or Lucy. She occasionally got into the odd scuffle here and there but Levy's purpose in the gang was strictly non-confrontation.

She did the books, the numbers, the forgeries and the hacking. Levy had many skills but fighting wasn't one of them. She was support, the oil that made the gears in their gang work.

That wasn't to say she was helpless, but staring at the red eyed man giving her a glare so strong it could strip paint from the walls, she had to say this might have been one of those cases where she was outmatched.

"Who are you? Salamander's replacement?" The man's lip curled, exposing rather sharp looking canines.

"Who? Salamander?" Levy gawked at him, not sure if salamander was a real name or not.

The other just stood up from a thin looking mattress, and Levy swallowed at the way he practically loomed over her.

"Salamander. The project that was here before he was killed," the man spoke, his expression grim.

Levy blinked, unsure what to think of this man and his rough answers. The careless way he spoke of Salamander made anyone believe he didn't care about the person who had presumably been his cellmate. But his face spoke of someone mourning another. There was a faint sense of grief she could see in the back of his eyes.

"Project?" Levy asked, feeling more confused than ever, "I don't understand. What's going on?"

The scowl intensified, but before her cellmate could respond there was movement in another corner where Levy belatedly realized the odd lines were bars. Lights in the other cell came up revealing a much less intimidating looking occupant.

Though his cool gaze was somewhat less than reassuring.

"Are you defective or something?" The new man asked, "What's your project designation?"

Levy looked between them her brain already working to solve the riddle before her, "I don't know what you're talking about." She replied slowly, "I don't know of any project. My name is Levy. I was walking to my friend Lucy's house when this psycho calling himself Jackal leapt out at me from the trees."

She shifted into a more comfortable position, interested to note she had their undivided attention, "He said something about compensation and tried to grab me, but I ran." She rubbed one of her bruises ruefully, "Unfortunately, I didn't run fast enough."

The two men stared at her in shock before looking at each other.

"She's from the outside." The cold looking one breathed, "They must've released the gates to go after Salamander. He could be alive."

Her cellmate made a sharp shushing gesture, "We're not supposed to talk about them."

"What's it matter Black Steel?" The other argued, "It's not like they're a secret! Especially if they're bringing people like her in!"

A look of horror dawned on both of their faces and they turned to look at Levy in a way that made her extremely nervous. She unconsciously backed up a little, uncertain what was going on now, "What?"

"You don't have a designation," Black Steel responded, his expression dark and face drawn. He shook his head and crossed the small cell to Levy. He seemed almost apologetic.

"That means you're going into the Waste." Black Steel spoke calmly, his voice gravelly in the way it lowered just for her ears, "they will experiment on you, and turn you into... something else."

"You can only get a designation if you're young enough," the other man spoke up, "Otherwise the experiments don't take. You go crazy if they work on you when you're too old."

Levy wasn't sure what that meant. She didn't even know how to grasp her mind around what was happening. All she knew was that they were in a cramped cell with two men who had likely been prisoners for the better part of their lives.

She lifted her chin and stared them down, "I haven't given up hope yet. I have people on the outside that won't stop looking for me."

She nodded to the frosty man, "What's your designation?"

He considered her for a moment, his silence as cold as his eyes. However after a moment he broke and inclined his head, "Devil Slayer."

"Well Devil Slayer and Black Steel, I don't know what kind of rock you've been living under, but I'm a member of Fairy Tail," she touched her shoulder blade where a delicate looking tattoo was printed on her skin, "we don't give up."

She pulled loose a hairpin from behind her ear, a crooked grin coloring her face, "and I'm not about to wait for them to rescue me. Stand back boys, I'm going to get a message out."

The two men looked at one another in confusion, before watching as Levy made her way to the electronic panel at the door and began to work.

"What're you doing shrimp?" Black Steel asked.

Levy eyed him from over her shoulder, "It's Levy. And I saw those chumps opening the doors using radio waves. If I can hack into their frequency, I can send out a message to Lucy. I just hope she still has her old comm unit..."

-::-

Meanwhile, Lucy was sitting at her kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, and listening attentively as Jellal and Natsu gave her a more thorough explanation about who they were and where they'd come from.

"You realize how completely insane this sounds right?" She asked after a few moments of silence, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't believe it. I mean, conspiracy theorists couldn't make this stuff up."

"Which is precisely why I chose not to say anything." Jellal replied, nursing his own mug, and sitting warily across from Salamander. Or Natsu. Or whatever he wanted to call himself.

He wasn't entirely sure how she'd managed it, but Lucy had talked them into not attempting to murder each other just yet. Which had led to the current, somewhat awkward, setup. He could tell Salamander was suspicious of him, and rightly so, all things considered. He certainly didn't trust the fire mage either.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked practically, "If Salamander, Natsu, is correct then the Gates won't relent until they find him."

"Why is this a question?" Salamander growled defensively, "If she has any sense she'll kick us both out of Magnolia."

"Maybe I should." Lucy replied tartly, "But I'm not going to."

That caused both men to whip around from where they'd been eyeing each other distrustfully in identical expressions of shock.

"You're not?"

"Of course not!" Lucy huffed indignantly, "Putting aside the fact Jellal is a member of Fairy Tail, which makes us not fighting for him a non-starter to begin with, and my friend, I would have to be an idiot not to see the potential in both of you."

"This is dangerous Lucy." Jellal warned, "Just being associated with me will make you and the others targets."

"I'd like to see you tell Erza she can't see you anymore because you might be a target." Lucy snorted, "And besides, we're already going to be targets once these gate guys figure out who you've been associating with. They'll be sure we know something even if we don't. And no offense meant, but if they've got powers like yours I'd feel a lot better knowing I had a friend with the same on my team to help fight them."

Jellal inclined his head, conceding the point, and Lucy turned her attention to Natsu.

"As for you... I won't stop you from leaving, but I would be grateful if you chose to stay. Levy's still out there somewhere, and I'm probably going to need your help if I have a prayer of finding her and breaking her out of this lab of theirs."

Natsu scowled a little, not at all sure how he felt about that, "And what do I do in the meantime? Will you lock me up so they can't find me?"

"Actually..." Lucy smirked as she leaned back a little, "I was wondering if you'd like a job? You see... I'm currently in need of a personal bodyguard, and if you're as good without your fire as you are with it..."

Natsu stared at her, expression blank while Jellal reared back from his chair. The latter wasn't quite able to hide his shock as well.

Natsu leaned forward onto his elbows, his fingers curling under his chin while he squinted at Lucy.

"So let me get this straight," he said, eyes flat and unimpressed by this supposedly high honor he had been offered.

"You want me, a rogue combat experiment, to stay here in a town where my handlers are hunting me," he clarified, just trying to get a total grasp on the conversation.

He pushed back at Lucy's nod, eyes turning towards the ceiling, "you know I kind of thought you were smart, but you're actually kinda dumb aren't ya?"

Lucy's eyes narrowed outright at the insult, but Natsu didn't seem to notice and instead glanced out the window, "why would you take the risk? And what makes you think I would either? I've had freedom for a total of two days out of my life and you're asking me to stick around?"

"Regardless if you stay, I'm not going to abandon my home to monsters," Lucy gave Natsu a glare that could have set him aflame had she had pyrokinesis like him, "either stand your ground and defend a new home here, or run from them forever without a friend in sight. It's your choice."

He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if he could really live a life separate from "Salamander." Natsu didn't see how it was possible, but he had to say he didn't mind seeing the close knit community Lucy had built for herself.

He remembered Devil Slayer and Black Steel, wondering if they were okay. There was hesitation in his gut, wondering if he could live with himself if he abandoned them to their fates.

Fairy Tail was a community Natsu could admire. And in truth he wanted a little taste of the family Lucy had. He wanted to rescue his fellow cell mates and form a new life.

He didn't want to run for his life and forever be branded as Salamander.

Natsu wanted a home.

He met Lucy's eyes and a slow smirk flashed over his face, "funny, you make living over certain suicide sound like the less palatable option. Fine then boss, I'm in."

"Lucy, are you sure about this?" Jellal asked, uncertain.

"Absolutely." Lucy replied, her eyes never leaving Natsu, and a matching smirk crawling over her lips, "I think you'll make a fine addition to Fairy Tail. You'll get the usual deal of course. A six figure salary I'll spell out in your contract, and all the other usual benefits. You can pick out your own uniform most days, but I'll insist on proper suits for certain occasions. Your sole job will be to see to my safety and attend to any additional needs I may have. As such you'll live here with me. You're allowed your own time and vacations of course, but only once you've ensured I don't need to worry about security while you're out or gone. Agreed?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow at the remarkably generous deal. He hadn't honestly expected that much. Though perhaps he should've.

It perfectly reasonable all things considered, and certainly granted him more freedom than he'd expected.

"Are you always this generous with your employees?" He asked.

Lucy shrugged a little, "You tend to catch more flies with honey than vinegar." She replied, "I prefer to give people a sweet deal wherever I can. It makes people more inclined to fight to keep what they have. And your job is certainly one of the more difficult ones out there. I would be stupid to be stingy."

Well, Natsu couldn't really argue with that.

Jellal sighed, pulling their attention back to him, "I suppose I should leave you two to discuss the details of this." He said reluctantly, "I still have an investigation to run after all." He met Lucy's eyes, "Please promise me you'll be careful?"

Lucy nodded, aware he wasn't just talking about what was going on outside her door.

Jellal nodded back and got up. He paused as he turned to the door and gave Natsu a frosty look, "It goes without saying that if you harm one hair on her head no force in this world will stop me, or the rest of Fairy Tail, from destroying you."

"I'm more worried about you slinking around Wizard," Natsu shot back at him, his eyes narrowed into slits, "I'm a combat project, but you were _infiltration_."

"It's Jellal now _Salamander_," Jellal snapped back at him, his teeth baring down against the inside of his cheek.

They glowered at one another for a good minute until Lucy lost her patience and threw a place mat at Jellal to get him moving.

"Alright get lost Jellal! I've got some things to talk to Sal—Natsu about and I won't have you antagonizing him any more" Lucy ordered, "Now get going Alright?"

Reluctant, Jellal picked up the haphazardly tossed placemat and returned it to Lucy. His eyes lingered on Natsu, whose unimpressed expression only served to further infuriate him.

Jellal left without another word after that and Natsu huffed in relief once he was gone.

Once they were alone he could return his full attention onto Lucy who was regarding him with some interest. It was an assessing look and Natsu couldn't help but shift a little under her burning stare.

"We are going to have to get you set up with some threads," Lucy smiled at him.

She glanced at the nearest clock and sighed, "But not today. It's already four."

And she'd had a very long day.

One that wasn't over yet.

By now the news about Levy was guaranteed to have made the rounds to the rest of Fairy Tail, and she knew she would be spending most of the evening arranging a meeting sometime in the next day or two for everyone. There was no way she could keep the revelations she'd heard today from the others. They were too big. And dangerous.

Her friends needed to know what they could potentially be up against.

She shook her head a little, and turned her attention back to Natsu, "You know I'll have to tell others about this right?" She asked, "About you and Jellal and everything that's going on?"

She felt a twinge of guilt over outing Jellal after all this time, but the circumstances demanded it. Something she knew he would already know. The man was a genius on a bad day.

Natsu frowned a little, "Everyone?"

Lucy nodded, "Despite appearances, Fairy Tail itself is very selective. The people who work for us aren't actual members for the most part. So it would only be the people I know I can trust with this."

Natsu scowled a little, but nodded, "Alright."

He didn't like it, but it wasn't like he was in a place he could argue about it. She had a point after all.

Lucy smiled a little at him, and patted his hand, "I'll order a couple of pizzas then. We can make your contract official and go shopping tomorrow. You're fine to keep the room you used last night as your permanent one."

Ordinarily she probably would've invited him to her room instead. She'd always had something of an irresistible attraction to her bodyguards. Even when the relationship wasn't serious.

However, today she didn't have the energy. There was too much going on. And besides, she had no idea if Natsu even knew what sex was after growing up in a lab.

Which was kind of a pity. He was extremely attractive after all.

She put the thought away as she got up to make that order. She would think about his attractiveness later. Right now she had work to do.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Natsu hated everything.

The sheer amount of torture Lucy was putting him through rivaled that of the lab itself, and Natsu let out a pathetic sounding whine over the horrible suffering he was in.

"Quit being so dramatic you cry baby, a suit isn't going to hurt you," Lucy drawled from nearby. She was swirling a glass of champagne in her hand, watching as Natsu squirmed as he was measured for his suit.

He had never worn anything like it before and it was clear he was struggling to adjust to the sensation of something around him so snug.

"Somehow I'll get this Neanderthal looking presentable," the orange haired man who was currently measuring Natsu promised.

"Thank you Loke," Lucy smiled at her previous bodyguard, "please try not to damage him too much, I'll need him in the future."

She stood up with a cant to her hip and sashayed to the door out of the fitting room, "I'm going to see what Aries has in her section of the store. I could use a new dress."

She ignored Natsu's look of betrayal as she abandoned him to get evil pins and measuring tape, resigning himself to his fate. Being tortured would be more pleasant than wearing such a fancy looking contraption.

"You'll get used to it," Leo advised, interpreting Natsu's expression correctly, "you won't have to wear the suit all the time but it does help make you look a little more intimidating to people who'd otherwise try to pick a fight."

Natsu blinked a little at that and focused on the seemingly casual Loke, "That experience talking?"

He'd realized immediately that Loke was a fighter. It was built into the way he moved, and nothing could undo that level of training. But it hadn't really occurred to him that Loke might be familiar with bodyguard duty.

The man raised an amused eyebrow at him, "Didn't Lucy tell you?" He asked, "I was her last bodyguard."

Natsu's jaw dropped a little, "You?" He gaped, "But why...?" He gestured vaguely around him at the store.

"It was my dream." Loke shrugged, "Don't get me wrong. I was very happy as Lucy's bodyguard. She's an exceptional woman, and a fine employer. But after I met Aries I wanted a change. And Lucy helped me get it." He frowned a little, "I wish I'd realized how difficult it would be for her to finally replace me though. Erza and Mira were only meant to be temporary measures."

He shook himself a little and smiled, "Regardless, it's good she found someone worth her time."

Natsu frowned a little, distracted from the evil pins, "How come it was so difficult?" He asked, "It can't be _that_ hard to find someone combat trained."

Loke shook his head, "It's not about competency. It's about trust. You wouldn't know it to look at her, but Lucy's a wary woman. She doesn't put up with the kind of crime most gang leaders go for, and the ones who deal in that sort of thing hate her for it."

That was interesting. Natsu didn't really care one way or the other, but it was interesting that his new boss had moral and ethical limits.

"It doesn't help that Magnolia is a wealthy and prosperous city either." Loke continued, oblivious to Natsu's thought, "Very rich territory for someone who wants to exploit it."

"No wonder she wants me to stay with her." Natsu muttered, his mind already churning with all the ways _he_ would try to get at Lucy if he was someone who wanted her out of the way.

"With her or at her house?" Loke smirked, earning himself a confused look.

"What?"

Loke chuckled, "At her house then." He replied, his smirk widening, "I'm a little surprised by that. You're very much her taste."

Natsu stared at Loke, completely baffled over what the man was implying, "what're you talking about? I'm her taste? She ain't a cannibal is she?"

Loke snorted outright at that before leaning in closer to Natsu and lightly elbowing him, "I mean getting to know her. Biblically."

"Sex," Natsu clarified, "that's what you're talking about?"

"Was that part of the job assignment? I don't remember her saying anything about it before," Natsu raised an eyebrow. He wasn't overly concerned with the idea even though it did surprise him a little. Lucy was an attractive woman and even though Natsu had his own training in that area he hadn't thought that particular skill of his would be put to use.

"What-? No of course it's not," Loke'a face looked somewhat exasperated. He shook his orange head and squeezed Natsu's shoulder, "it just kind of happens. You spent lots of time together, you get close and things just... happen."

"Lucy is a real special lady, if I hadn't met Aries, I would have probably fallen for Lucy instead," Loke laughed, "and wouldn't that have been a damn shame?"

Natsu wasn't sure why that was a shame, but kept that comment to himself. Instead he filed the information away in the back of his head. It was good to know that Lucy might start showing interest in that once they got to know each other better.

The tidbit about Lucy's wariness was more interesting. He'd known that from the start with her drugged food, but it said a lot that she was willing to trust him with her safety after only a couple of days. It seemed his help with Levy and his story about the lab had made more of an impression than he'd thought.

Either that or she was desperate.

Maybe both.

Regardless, they were where they were now for better or worse. Natsu had made his decision, and now that he'd committed that was the end of it. He would dedicate himself to his new assignment for as long as he had it. No matter how long that was.

He eyed the man still measuring and poking pins in him speculatively.

"So what else can you tell me about the job?" He asked, figuring a debrief from the last successful bodyguard was probably a good idea, "Any particulars I should know about?"

Loke blinked up at him in mild surprise before an approving smirk twisted his lips, "Well, the details of Lucy's days are sometimes erratic, but you can always count on her being up by eight. The only exception is when she knows nothing is pending and others can handle anything that crops up."

Natsu nodded as Loke shifted a little bit, crouching to get to a hem, "Other than that, she likes to visit Mira's club for pleasure at least once a week and go dancing. You'll probably want to join her for that so you don't lose her. Oh, and she can't hold her liquor at all."

Natsu blinked a little and stared at Loke a little incredulously, but the other man just shrugged.

"It's true. She's usually pretty good about keeping an eye on how much she's had, and goes for low or no alcohol versions at Mira's, but if she ever gets her hands on the hard stuff..."

An odd shiver somewhere between a grimace and amusement rippled over Loke's form, and Natsu was suddenly equal parts curious and terrified of the prospect of seeing a drunk Lucy.

He decided he was glad she didn't seem to do it often as the woman in question waltzed back in wearing a new dress that clung to all her curves without actually giving anything away.

"Loke, we need a third opinion." She called, looking more at herself than at the two of them, "I want a new business dress, but Aries is worried this might be less business and more club. What do you think?"

Natsu blinked at the sight of Lucy turning around, her hands smoothing down against her long legs and how she modeled turning in the mirror.

His mouth felt suspiciously dry at the sight of her in such a tight fitting dress but kept any words to himself for the time being. Loke just clicked his tongue and eyed her, a crooked grin flashing over his face.

"I think you know the answer to that Boss, unless you're planning on knocking your partners out cold during business meetings, I'd say Aries was right on the money," Loke snorted, stepping off the platform.

"She looks nice, right Natsu?" Loke asked, directing his attention back to the human pincushion he was torturing.

Natsu nodded once, shifting his shoulders to slide his arms out of his jacket.

"Pretty," he acknowledged, tossing the jacket onto the back of the chair Loke was using to hold all his supplies.

Lucy shot Natsu an amused, if pleased, look and turned her attention to the shy looking woman behind her.

"Alright. You win." She smiled, "I still like it though, so I'll get it anyway. Thanks Loke and Natsu." She called over her shoulder, "Let's try the dark blue one with the jacket while the boys finish up. That's _definitely _not club."

"Yes Miss Lucy!" Aries exclaimed happily, "I think that one will suit you very well!"

Lucy's laughter drifted back and Natsu shook his head, "Women are weird."

"True." Loke agreed, "But they're wonderful beings all the same."

There was enough longing in the man's voice that Natsu paused and looked at him curiously. He'd never really cared one way or another about women. His seduction and sex training had been almost clinical, and he certainly didn't recall his 'instructor' with any particular fondness.

But for Loke it seemed like he genuinely admired them for some reason.

And for Natsu that was almost as weird as Lucy herself.

-::-

A couple of very long hours later Natsu was relieved to finally be leaving the torture shop. In the end, Lucy had insisted on setting Natsu up with a complete wardrobe, both formal and casual, and had purchased a total of three new outfits for herself.

The price tag for everything had been mind boggling, but Lucy hadn't even batted an eye as she'd signed the bill. She'd simply smiled and, except for what Natsu was wearing out of the shop, asked for them to be delivered as usual once the alterations were done.

"There... torture is all over." Lucy smirked as they stepped outside.

"You're a sadist." Natsu growled back. Though he had to admit he wasn't entirely displeased. The outfit he was wearing was much nicer than the suit. It was more relaxed and gave him the freedom to move properly if he had to fight.

"Sticks and stones." Lucy teased back, "Though I probably should reward you for not burning the place down. Are you hungry?"

Natsu's stomach answered that for him, and she giggled a little, "Right. Lunch it is. C'mon, I know a great place. And you can meet Cana."

Natsu wasn't sure what a Cana was, but Lucy didn't give him time to contemplate it as she grabbed his wrist and half dragged him along to a bistro style restaurant.

It turned out that Cana was a person, one who was just as crazy as Lucy was. She peppered Natsu with questions bordering on invasive until she finally relented enough to give Natsu a pastry for his patience.

He chewed on it thoughtfully, quite liking the the texture while Lucy dragged him around from place to place. Memorizing those faces as best as he could, Natsu tolerated the people who questioned him at every turn.

They were trying to get information from him and determine his worth as Lucy's new bodyguard. He wasn't sure if he should have felt relieved so many people cared about his new Boss or irritated by the sudden attention.

Lucy didn't seem to notice the attention he was receiving, or if she did she didn't care. Her face was locked onto her phone, tapping away with perfectly manicured fingers at a speed Natsu frankly found mind boggling.

"Ugh why is it so hard to understand?" Lucy growled at the tiny device. She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair back over her shoulder to throw it up to her ear. Natsu didn't quite understand what Lucy did, but it seemed very similar to running a business. Only this one had the entire scope of an empire.

And she seemed very protective of it.

Natsu almost felt sorry for the person on the other end of that call.

"C'mon..." Lucy grumbled to the device as she walked into a dojo where a redheaded woman was running through some forms on the mats.

She waved to the woman, but held up her finger when the other started to speak, "Yes it's me." She snapped into the device, and paused, "No. I'm not."

Natsu glanced uncertainly at the frowning redhead as Lucy spoke harshly to the person on the other end of the line.

"Well if you'd bothered passing basic reading comprehension in school you would know the answer to that!" The blond half shouted after several moments, "I'm not approving Blackstar to set up anything in Magnolia until I've reviewed those permits and the proposed contracts and that's final! I don't care if you think it's too slow! Other, more important, things have come up. You'll get the green light when I decide to give it and not a moment sooner!"

There was another long pause as the person on the other end responded, though it was softly enough Natsu couldn't quite make out the words, and Lucy's expression morphed from irritation to a frigid rage that reminded Natsu pointedly of Devil Slayer.

"That..." She replied coldly, "Is none of your business. If you and your associates don't like my terms then you're free to set up business in another city."

She mashed the phone sharply and took a careful breath.

"Everything alright Boss?"

Lucy looked up and tried to smile, but it came out strained, "I'm not sure Erza. Blackstar is being... difficult."

Erza's frown deepened, "Is it something you want Mira and I to look into?"

Lucy frowned a little, "It would be a good idea for you to keep a lookout." She decided after a moment, "It might be nothing, but their pushiness is irritating. Makes me wonder just what's so time sensitive they need to set up shop immediately."

Erza nodded and Lucy shook herself a little, "Anyway, the main reason I came by was to introduce you to Natsu. I'm sure Jellal has told you all about him by now."

"Ah yes." Erza replied wryly, giving Natsu and openly assessing look, "Jellal has mentioned something of your prowess. I would very much like a spar with you sometime soon."

Natsu perked up at the thought and a wicked grin lit his face, "Now _that_ sounds like fun!" He purred eagerly, "Now?"

Erza glanced at Lucy, who checked the time and smirked, "We have time." She confirmed, and sat down, "I'd like to see what you make of him."

"Very well then," Erza pointed to the mat, "remove your shoes and jacket, we will begin at once. Let's test your worth over protecting our Boss."

"Finally someone talking my language," Natsu cracked his knuckles and smirked. He drew in close, toeing off his new shoes and stacking them neat by the mat.

He stepped into the arena where Erza was putting away a quarter staff. She nodded at Natsu, her eyes sweeping over him from top to bottom as though sizing him up. He did the same, noting the ease of how she stood and the casual flex of her fingers through well-wrapped fists.

She knew what she was doing. Natsu shrugged off his light jacket, his eyes flashing over to Lucy who was watching them with an intensity that made something in his chest twitch.

If nothing else, he had the irrational desire that he wanted to impress her. Natsu told himself it was because he didn't want her to regret her decision to hire him for her protection, but somehow it didn't ring quite truthful to him.

"Alright you two," Lucy called playfully, "play nice!"

Apparently that was the signal to start, because not a second passed without Erza closing the distance on Natsu and grabbing at him in a way he hadn't expected.

She had lots of skill, that much he knew.

Strength though? He hadn't expected a smaller woman like her to have so much strength in her body.

Natsu jerked as he went sailing through the air, barely having enough sense to shift his weight to land on a crouch. It took some of the pressure off his knees and he twisted his arm to wrap his hand over Erza's wrist.

"Aggressive. I like it," a large smirk flashed over his face, "Sorry to say that I am too!" He yanked her off her feet, crowding into her space to press the air from her lungs. Natsu had to make a mental note not to go all out against her, she wasn't Jellal despite her strength and skill. He didn't want to do any kind of permanent damage.

Although it seemed like his worries were unfounded, because she grabbed him by the back of his head and jerked his head down to meet her knee.

He barely avoided having his nose crushed into his brain, instead shifting at the last second so her knee glanced off his cheek just under his eye socket.

"Nice reflexes," Erza said approvingly.

"Not bad yourself." Natsu grunted as he twisted around and swept her off her feet.

She dropped with a grunt of surprise, but quickly followed up with a kick that had him pulling back and a quick flip back to her feet. His eyes narrowed a little as they shifted back into ready stances and her assessing look returned. His blood started to pound eagerly in his veins.

She'd stopped trying to feel him out.

Now it was going to get good.

And he was proved right as she attacked again only this time he could tell she wasn't holding anything back. A broad grin split his face as they traded blows, for all intents and purposes looking like they were trying to kill each other.

It wasn't like his fights with Black Steel or Devil Slayer, but it was good! It was incredible even! Her skills were sharper than his, no doubt honed by a lifetime of fighting on the streets and for Lucy, but he'd been genetically enhanced. A combination that made the fight surprisingly even.

And he loved every moment of it.

He danced lightly around her as they fought all over the dojo in a display that had Lucy on the edge of her seat, phone forgotten, as she watched.

Natsu paid no attention to that however. He was busy watching keenly as Erza's stamina began to flag, and pounced on her when she stumbled a little after flipping over him.

In a flash he kicked out and swept her legs out from under her, following it up with a pin and a fist raised threateningly.

"Yield?" He asked, barely looking winded.

"I...yield." The redhead panted harshly, and Natsu immediately hopped up and reached out a hand to help her up.

"That was awesome!" He grinned enthusiastically at her, "We gotta do that again sometime!"

He got the impression that had they been fighting for real with evened odds, Erza actually stood a good chance at taking him down. She was damn clever, and seemed to pick up on his movements just a second before he followed through. She was definitely more skilled than him, and that made her smart and clever. With a weapon in her hands and the environment at her disposal the fight would be less tilted in Natsu's favor.

She accepted the hand up and Natsu dragged her back to her feet. Her eyes leveled on his and a soft smile seemed to transform her severe face.

"That would be agreeable, although I see Jellal was not lying when he explained your abilities. You are a hard man to keep down, I'm glad you'll be protecting Lucy," Erza allowed.

Natsu glanced over at Lucy, whose expression was inexplicably difficult for him to read at the moment. Her eyes were drawn to him, and Natsu swallowed having almost forgotten his audience. She however, had not.

"I'm glad he passed muster, I was almost afraid it would be as embarrassing as Bora's showing was," Lucy stood up and walked right to the edge of the mat, "he didn't even last past the first round against Erza."

"And Who is this Bora guy? Thought your last bodyguard was Loke?" Natsu asked.

Lucy hummed in acknowledgement, "yes but he was almost in your position. Usually I have Erza vet the potentials to see if they stand a chance in keeping me safe. Rarely anyone beats her, so I'm not too harsh with the grading. Even if Erza goes easy on them."

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "So what happened to him?"

A scowl crossed Lucy's face, "Let's just say he never learned the concept of no." She huffed, crossing her arms, "Or understood that I was the boss and not the other way around."

Erza snorted, "Lucy also smashed his face into a table and broke his nose." She staged whispered to Natsu, pulling a blush from the blond, "From what Mira told me it was beautiful to watch."

Natsu smirked a little at the revelation. So, his pretty new boss had claws of her own did she? He rather liked that.

Granted, he'd already known that to a certain extent, but somehow the knowledge that she'd broken this guy's nose impressed him more than any gun or sedative ever could.

"Ahem." Lucy cleared her throat, and checked the time, "We really should get going. I have to make an appearance at the club tonight for a couple of client meetings." She picked up her purse while Natsu ambled over to put his shoes and jacket back on, "Erza... I'm calling a meeting for Fairy Tail."

Erza's expression sharpened, "Oh?"

Lucy nodded, "It's about Levy. And other things. Tomorrow night at eight sharp. We've got a lot to go over."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Out of all of the great places in Magnolia, Lucy enjoyed Mira's club the most. It showed a bright, thrumming life that ran rampant and uncontained. It was so different from her life growing up as a child that Lucy gravitated there all the time.

Here her friends were happy, they could laugh and dance their troubles away.

Lucy sighed in relief as she stretched out in her regular VIP booth. She wore the new lovely piece she bought at Loke and Aries' place, quite pleased by the heads she was turning.

The only one who seemed uninterested was her bodyguard, who seemed to be focused on doing his job a little too well and was watching the exits instead of her.

She knew he wasn't as serious as he was making himself out to be, she had seen him loosen up with Erza and even with Loke a little. Seen his grins and smirks and saw how they lit up his face. She saw out the itch of the fight was programmed into him like a blood Knight. He looked almost happy while fighting Erza.

It didn't surprise Lucy, everything else was strange and unfamiliar. Fighting was probably the only thing that seemed normal to him. Even something as mundane as shopping seemed out of the ordinary for him. Although the explanation of the labs helped clarify where he was coming from.

It was also a pity. The joy he'd displayed while fighting had shown her a new side of him. A side she appreciated as much as his toned body and handsome features.

Unfortunately, it seemed appreciation was as far as she would get.

She reminded herself she was being a bit ridiculous. They'd only known each other for a couple days, and they hardly knew anything about each other. Not really. There was no reason to expect him to be interested in her. No matter how disappointing that was.

She took a sip of her drink and sternly told her libido to take a hike. She could survive without a lover for a while.

She glanced up at him and nudged him playfully, "You know you don't have to scowl at the exits like that." She grinned, "And you're allowed to sit down and join me."

Natsu frowned, "But I'm supposed to be protecting you."

"Yes." Lucy agreed, "But Mira and Elfman are also keeping an eye out for trouble. Elfman especially. You can relax a little."

Natsu looked dubious and Lucy sighed as she got up, "C'mon. If you won't sit down at least come dance with me." She grinned, "You can't get much more protective than that!

Lucy watched Natsu eye her extended hand like it was a snake that was going to bite him before he reached out to take it. His expression softened around the edges and he let her drag him upright.

"I don't know how to dance, it looks weird," Natsu protested half heartedly, but knew he wasn't going to win a battle like this against Lucy any time.

"Then I get the pleasure of teaching you," Lucy smirked at him while she dragged him out onto the dance floor. He didn't resist her tugging, feeling the rhythm of the music beating in his rib cage.

She slung her arms around his shoulders and dragged his hands around her hips, pulling their bodies together. His touch was unexpectedly warm and it sent a curious jolt of pleasure shaking up her spine.

In the flashing, colored lights, his expression was dark and enticing. A small smirk flared over his lips, magnetizing her to them. Together they moved, Lucy guiding him through the beat until he figured it out himself.

Which didn't take long.

Lucy had heard that dancing and martial arts were often similar, but the proof was in the pudding so to speak as Natsu picked up club dancing with an ease that surprised her given he'd never done it before.

Within a few moments he was moving with her, and by the start of the next song he'd gotten the idea enough that he'd begun to lead rather than follow. And that was the moment everything changed.

One moment, Lucy was leading him through the motions, rather enjoying teasing him a little as she did, and the next his grip on her hips had tightened and suddenly he was the one in charge. It was startling and breathtaking at the same time.

He guided her boldly, not giving her a chance to take control back as he overwhelmed her senses. The rest of the club faded to the background as all she could see was his dark expression, so warm and dangerous at the same time. Even when her back was pressed to his chest she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

Nor could she pull herself away from his hard body. It was one thing to see it, but there was a huge difference between treating his injuries and having that body pressed against her, and his strong arms wrapped around her.

It made her wonder just what it would feel like in a different setting.

"You're enjoying this." He growled lowly in her ear, a sound that sent a shiver down her spine, "I can smell it."

"You're surprised?" She half moaned, struggling to think clearly as even his scent drove her wild. Normally, such things never affected her one way or the other, but now she had this insane urge to shift a little and bury her nose in his neck. Maybe even sink her teeth there.

"Maybe," his voice came in a grunt, colored in such a way it had Lucy thinking perhaps he wasn't unaffected by her either. His hand skated down her hip to the outside of her thigh towards her leg.

She melted against him, her hand drifting behind her to tangle into his hair. Her palm brushed against the shell of his ear, bringing his head closer.

She could feel him press his lips and nose into her hair, his breath warm and sending a delightful pulse through her body.

"You don't seem the type to get riled up by a little dancing," Natsu spoke, his voice loud enough for her to hear the shake in his tenor.

"Neither do you," Lucy replied back, expression wicked as she tilted her head back towards him. His eyes were locked on hers, their movements pulsing together in time to the music.

His body bent into hers, nose skimming along her cheek. She gasped at the way his burning hand squeezed light at her thighs, knees trembling at the sensation.

"Don't know why you think so, I'm pretty hot-blooded," Natsu pulled up to her ear, his teeth catching light against her lobe.

Lucy shuddered at the sensation, heat pooling tightly in her belly. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had affected her like this. Not even Loke had been this hot, and they'd enjoyed a fun relationship for over a year before he'd met Aries and lost his heart.

Maybe it was just that no one since had been exciting?

She wasn't really sure, but she supposed it didn't matter.

What mattered was the feel of his teeth scraping her ear. The heat of his breath blowing into her skin and giving her goosebumps. His hot hands on her thighs, teasing at what they might be doing if he moved them.

Abruptly he spun her around and pulled her tightly against him, one thigh sliding between her legs just enough to tease her.

"Are you that hungry?" He rumbled at her, his eyes dark and yet lit with the flames she knew he possessed.

Smirking a little she shifted her position so she was brushing his groin too, pleased to discover he really was affected, "Are you?" She purred back.

His eyes dropped to her lips, and excitement bubbled up in her as she watched him debate what he was going to do.

Lucy's heart leapt into her chest, practically throwing itself against her breastbone as she watched his conviction solidify behind wicked eyes. He drew in close to her, as if being pulled together by a slowly coiling connection.

It twisted tighter and tighter between them, sparking like electricity and burning like a crackling flame. As if it was summoned by Natsu's spirit itself.

She could smell the faint brush of cinnamon and spice from his natural scent coming off him, encouraging her to take a step forward and close the distance between them.

"Miss Heartfilia, could I have a moment of your time?" An unfamiliar voice broke into their little bubble, throwing a bucket of ice water directly over the two of them.

Natsu straightened, and in a movement she hardly picked up on, Lucy found herself behind Natsu and staring at a wall instead.

His bodyguard instincts had clearly kicked in, and Lucy was left trying to catch up. She slowly turned around to where Natsu was glaring at a man in a freshly pressed suit. The expression in her bodyguard's face was as close to murderous as she had ever seen it before and Lucy couldn't say she blamed him either.

She set a hand against his bicep, feeling it straining with tension behind his sleeves. She bit her bottom lip, having been looking forward to maybe getting a chance to explore other straining parts of him...

"Precht," Lucy drawled, going for a casual approach despite how livid she was. She wasn't about to show the man how him showing up unannounced had shaken her. Lucy knew power plays and intimidation strategies like the back of her hand and wouldn't let herself fall into that trap.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Apologies for the lack of hospitality, I didn't expect you to stop by tonight," Lucy squeezed her hand against Natsu's shoulder to get him to loosen up. He wore his displeasure like it was a badge.

"I heard about that deplorable incident over the phone with Zancrow, and I came to apologize." Precht purred smoothly, "I had hoped we could take a few minutes to discuss the matter?"

Lucy considered that for a moment. She wasn't particularly keen on discussing anything with Precht at the moment, or ever really. Even a glance at those contracts had sent red flags up, and she doubted a thorough reading would ease her concern any.

Still, the man had showed up, and she wouldn't put it past him to try something around all these innocent people. So she smiled politely at him, "Since you troubled to come all this way, even going so far as to find me on the dance floor, it would be rude not to listen to what you have to say."

She turned and walked off the dance floor, trusting Natsu to guard her back, and headed over to Mirajane, "A private room and some refreshments for our... guests?"

"You got it Boss." Mirajane replied, a smile on her lips, but a sharp eyed look on the unwelcome guests, "This way."

Lucy hid a smirk as Mira led them back to one of the meeting rooms. It wasn't her usual one. That one was just off the upper level lounge, and always stocked with comfortable seating and plenty of refreshments. That one Lucy didn't need to ask to use. It was exclusively hers.

This one wasn't outwardly much different, but the subtle differences were there.

It wasn't as comfortable for one, and for two it didn't come provisioned. A subtle insult perhaps, but all things considered Lucy didn't care.

Let Precht be insulted, he knew he was dropping in unannounced.

Him and the wild looking flunky that was tailing Precht. Natsu for his part seemed completely uninterested in pretending the play the delicate game of niceties that Lucy was so good at, but that wasn't a bad thing she supposed.

He was making it very clear by his stare alone that their presence was not welcome while allowing Lucy the opportunity to make nice.

Lucy settled into her spot in a stand alone chair, Natsu standing by her side with his arms crossed over his waist and his fingers looped around his wrist.

He was giving the two men an uninterested look, but it was hardly bored. Once everyone was in the room, he lifted his hand before Precht could sit down.

"Weapons," Natsu protested them coming any closer, eyes locked and narrow on them.

"Excuse me?" Precht said with a polite air that Lucy wasn't buying for a moment. She opted not to say anything outright accusing though, only offering a polite smile.

"Gun powder, I smell it on both you and your friend," Natsu gave no ground, head jerking to the table. "Weapons."

The blond haired man traveling with Precht only scowled at Natsu and slowly dragged his gun from his holster, "what about you cherry head? What about your weapons?"

"You're the ones calling the meeting on our turf," Natsu didn't bat an eye and watched while Precht nodded to his bodyguard to abide by the rules.

Once satisfied they were free of weapons to his satisfaction, he returned to Lucy's side. His expression was unfriendly, flat as he watched the pair of men as if they were enemies.

"Now that's been sorted out..." Lucy leaned back in her chair, "What is it you would like to say? I was certain I'd made my position very clear earlier."

Precht smiled thinly, "I merely wished to inquire as to what the delay was, and ask if there was any way I could be of some assistance to you Lady Heartfilia."

Lucy's eyes narrowed a fraction, but she smiled back, "I see. Well, I do extend my apologies for any delay in getting a response to you." She folded her hands neatly over her lap, "I had hoped to get you a firm response before now, but something came up that has required my immediate attention."

"Nothing too severe I hope?" Precht purred, "Magnolia is such a prosperous and... peaceful... little city. I can't imagine anything going wrong here."

Lucy chuckled wryly, "Well you know how it is. There's always something requiring attention. I'm sure we'll have everything sorted out over the next few days however. At least enough I can review everything properly."

She inclined her head slightly, "Though I have to wonder just what is so urgent about your requests that you don't seem to want to wait? Generally when I tell people there's been a delay on what really shouldn't be a time sensitive issue there's not so much... resistance."

A dark smirk flicked over her face as she leaned forward, "You're not trying to be naughty and break one of my rules are you? You should know I take a rather dim view on that. Magnolia and her people are very important to me, and I dislike anyone threatening the prosperity we've built here."

"Of course not miss Heartfilia, I only mean to move ahead with production. Our investors are very insistent on seeing results and we are already delayed in our manufacturing. We have many people reliant on the jobs our company provides," Precht said placating, seeming to understand the quiet threat in Lucy's voice.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at Prechts quick answer. It was too smooth, easy to swallow, like a shot of Gentleman's Jack that went down like a dream. Lucy didn't believe it for a second.

"You've hired employees without an approved ground to build your business on?" Lucy asked, her question polite but the tone in her voice implying how low she thought of his excuses. Trying to play on her sympathy and moral ground was a low trick, but not the one she would fall for.

"Precht that seems like poor business management to me," Lucy leaned back in her chair, sitting in it like a throne. She nodded to Natsu, her eyes flashing to the champagne near their table.

He understood the message, and with a barely restrained smirk and eye roll, poured her a glass and passed it over to her.

She took a tiny sip and regarded Precht calmly over the lip of her flute, "if I were you, I would inform your potential hires they'll be displaced to other locations for the time being while you wait for the proper review of the contract to be laid down."

"After all, we must be thorough. Peoples _jobs_ are at stake," Lucy gave him a sweet smile.

Precht stared at her blankly for a long moment, and Lucy honestly wasn't sure if it was surprise or an attempt to mask his rage causing it. She suspected it might be a combination of both.

There was something definitely shady going on though, and she was determined to find out what before she agreed to anything.

"Of course." Precht replied just as the pause was starting to get awkward, a smooth smile curled his lips, "Of course you're quite right. I should have thought of that from the start." He stood and bowed slightly, "If you'll excuse us Lady Heartfilia? I fear I have found myself with quite a bit to do."

"Of course." Lucy smiled, "I wouldn't dream of holding you up. I would hate for there to be any unfortunate fallout due to this delay."

Precht nodded and tapped his bodyguard's shoulder as he moved to retrieve his weapons from a highly attentive Natsu.

The blond haired man scowled, but didn't say anything as he followed his boss out.

"That was interesting." Natsu commented once the pair were safely gone, "Are all your meetings like that?"

"Far too many for my taste." Lucy scowled, "Precht is definitely trying to break one of my rules and muscle in. I'll have to find out which one and how." She shook her head regretfully, "I wish Levy was here. She could hack the information I need without any problem."

Natsu frowned a bit, "I'm sorry for what happened to her." He offered, "And I'm sorry I can't lead you back to the lab I was at."

Lucy looked up at him inquiringly, and he shrugged a little uncomfortably, "I broke out in the middle of the night while it was raining." He explained, "I wasn't exactly focused on landmarks. If I had been..."

Lucy's expression cleared and she nodded as she got up, "I can't blame you for that. We'll just have to hope we find another way to find Levy before they do anything to her."

She squeezed his shoulder, "Let's go let Mira know to keep her eyes peeled for Precht and anyone connected to him, and get out of here."

Natsu nodded and fell into step behind her as she headed out.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

The ride back home was silent save the occasional groan from Natsu, whose distaste for anything vehicle related made itself known. So far she hadn't regretted her decision to have Natsu take on the role of her bodyguard but she was going to have to come up with something for him while they were in motion.

She wondered how he would fare if he was the one navigating.

It was a thought for another day as she dragged her tired body inside the house with Natsu following mere steps behind.

She kicked off her heels by the door and stomped into the kitchen, rather cross that Precht had ruined a day of dancing for her, especially how things had been starting to turn out.

She glanced at Natsu, who was undoing the buttons of his shirt at the sleeves and beginning to roll them up to his elbows.

What a waste of a perfectly good night.

Lucy opened the freezer and fished out an ice pack, dropping it on the back of her sore neck where the muscles in her back had knitted uncomfortably. Just because she played off confrontations well at the moment didn't mean she didn't pay for them later. She was carrying a metric ton of tension in her shoulders.

What was worse was that she was hoping to take a few hours to get her mind off Levy so she didn't spend the entire night awake and obsessing over where she was.

"That's not gonna help you any."

Lucy jerked her head up in surprise, wincing a bit as her neck protested, "No?" She asked as she shut the freezer, "Why not?"

"Ice'll only make the tension worse." Natsu replied, and Lucy couldn't help drinking in the sight of him leaning against a counter in his new clothes with the sleeves rolled up and practically taunting her to rip the whole ensemble off him.

Something must've showed on her face because his expression abruptly morphed into something far closer to what he'd been wearing on the dance floor. He flashed her a sly smirk as he pushed away from the counter and prowled over to her.

"What you need isn't cold." He rumbled as he reached over and gently plucked the pack from her fingers, "It's heat."

He rubbed a hot hand over the cold patch and she shivered a bit, "See, ice'll numb the area sure, but it won't do anything to work the reason for the pain out. To do that you need heat."

He rubbed lightly at the back of her neck, and Lucy let out a hiss that was somewhere between pain and pleasure as the knot there started to come untangled a little. Though nowhere near enough to satisfy her.

"That's what you need." Natsu growled lowly, and his eyes flicked over her, "Of course, you're in the wrong clothes for a _proper_ massage."

Lucy's eyes flew open at the implied offer, "They taught you massage in there?" She blurted in surprise.

Natsu didn't seem to take offense though. Instead his smirk widened, "Mostly self taught." He admitted, "But once the scientists picked up on what I was doing they gave me a few courses. Said it would help with undercover work."

He trailed his hand down her spine, "So how 'bout it? Interested in seeing what I can do?"

Lucy shivered against him. Was she ever! She grinned back, happily thinking maybe the evening wasn't wasted after all, "I might be. Though we should probably retreat somewhere more comfortable for this hm?"

Natsu grinned, letting Lucy take him by the hand and lead him into her bedroom. His breath tangled in his lungs as they walked into her darkened room.

"I have oils in the bathroom, give me a moment to get ready while you fetch them?" Lucy asked, turning him by the shoulder with one finger to push him into her restroom. She grinned as Natsu obediently turned into the bathroom.

Lucy couldn't help the breathless laugh that escaped her when he disappeared. She quickly began to shed her clothes, pulling aside the covers and wrapping a sheet around herself for some modesty.

"Alright Natsu, I'm ready," she called out for his attention. She laid down on her stomach, hands pillowed under her chin.

Natsu drifted out, his steps even and measured. The sound of his approach made her heart race, the expectation of the promised massage causing new excitement to burn in her.

"Look who's all ready," Natsu purred, his eyes traveling over Lucy's exposed back.

"You promised a massage, I expect you to deliver on it," Lucy turned her chin to smirk up at him.

"Oh I will." Natsu promised with a husky quality to his voice that sent heat rushing between her legs. God, at this rate she was going to wind up begging him to take her the moment he touched her.

She watched as he set down the oils and toed off his shoes and socks before moving to join her on the bed.

"Of course... the first thing is to make sure things are properly prepared." Natsu smirked wickedly as he shifted covers out of the way and swung around to straddle her rear..

She shivered as he reached over to snag a bottle of oil, and the motion rubbed him against her. She could feel the hard ridge of his arousal pressing into her despite the flimsy barriers between them, and it was all she could do to choke down a moan.

He didn't say anything though. Instead he took his time as he uncorked the bottle and poured some over his hand, no doubt warming it faster and better than anyone else had, but no sooner had Lucy started to get impatient than he pressed his hands into her back.

She arched a little, a surprised gasp tearing from her lips as he pushed his fingers into her tense back. Rubbing and kneading the tension away soothingly. And it didn't take long before she was groaning in relief.

He was, hands down, the best masseuse she'd ever had. And she'd dealt with a number of professionals in her time.

He worked slowly and methodically down her neck and back until finally he was pressing into the small of her back in a motion that was both relaxing and sexual. Lucy whimpered a little at the sensation, both boneless with relaxation and eager for something a little more erotic.

"Would you like me to do the rest of you as well?" He growled roughly, and she hastily nodded.

There was a moment of silence before he leaned back up to kiss the back of her neck, "As you wish."

He pulled away, shifting off her for a moment, and Lucy mourned the loss of his heat before he quickly returned to settle down on her calves.

She wasn't given time to contemplate that as he pulled the sheet off, exposing all of her to his gaze, and his hands returned to rub and knead her rear, "You are gorgeous Lucy."

Lucy moaned softly at both the sensation and the compliment, and unconsciously spread her legs a little under him. Fortunately, it seemed he'd left just enough room for her to expose herself to him.

His fingertips grabbed a handful of her creamy flesh, squeezing and rubbing. He watched her supple skin pressing between his fingers and listened to her breathless moans as he massaged her.

With each squeeze, there was an answering throb in his gut, a rush of scent that grew stronger from between Lucy's thighs. Natsu licked his lips, spreading her cheeks with burning hands and sliding down her rear.

Lucy's entire body flexed at the sensation of his hands traveling so close to her core. A creamy bead trickled out from her exposed center, Natsu's tongue darting out from between sharp teeth.

"Lucy," he dipped towards her, lips tracing across the curve of her spine, "may i?"

He watched her fingers tighten in her sheets, her knees squirming into the mattress as her legs spread wider in invitation. A boiling heat roared to life in his groin, lust pounding in his veins as he watched Lucy's cheeks flush and her desperate nod.

"You promised me a massage Natsu, and I'm _aching_," Lucy keened.

He growled back at the sound, feeling his stomach clench like a spike of pure pleasure was burrowing itself between his hips. It was distracting, and Natsu was almost taken aback by the force of his own desire.

He had sex plenty of times before for training, but this was something entirely different.

He bit and licked down the curve of her lower back, his hands roughly grasping at her thighs. Natsu gauged the way her hips bucked wantonly, the fierce way her hips pressed with hungry demands into his unyielding hands.

She moaned desperately, trying to grind her dripping center into the heat he was promising her. How frustratingly empty and aching she was feeling. Natsu growled, watching another bead of desperation welling from Lucy's plump folds.

He dove into her center, his tongue rubbing over her slit to taste her, unable to resist any longer. Natsu flipped her hips around so her legs landed around his shoulders while her back caught the soft mattress.

His mouth wrapped hot lips around her clit, a single finger plunging into her wet heat before slowly pumping out.

"Natsu!" Lucy half screamed in mingled surprise and pleasure, unused to being manhandled like that, and everything being swept away an instant later as electric ecstasy tore through her.

Her entire world narrowed down to his mouth and the pleasure he was giving her as he sucked and nibbled with a skill she never would've dreamed he'd possessed after growing up in a lab. In moments he'd reduced her to sobbing incoherently as he teased and tormented her higher and higher.

He never let her fall over the edge though.

Instead, he kept her tottering on the precipice as he slid more fingers into her, caressing her and teasing her of what would shortly come.

"Please Natsu!" She begged as she twisted and writhed against him, but he only responded by shifting a little and plunging his scorching tongue into her to taste her directly.

He watched hungrily as she thrashed against him, distantly impressed he hadn't caught on fire or something yet, and pulled away the moment she started to tense again.

"Damnit Natsu!" She swore furiously, giving him a glare that might've been lethal under other circumstances. He grinned sharply back at her as he pulled back and started pulling off the rest of his clothes.

"Don't worry Lucy..." He growled roughly, "You'll get much better than that in a second."

He managed, somehow, not to burn the nice new clothes in his haste, and smirked as her eyes tracked to his groin the moment he was bare.

"Like what you see?" He rumbled, curling a hand around himself and stroking lightly as he returned to her.

"I'd like it better if you were doing something useful with it." Lucy growled, though she couldn't hide the way she licked her lips at the sight.

Natsu smirked as he crawled back into bed and settled over her, "I guess I'll just have to oblige then." He chuckled and captured her lips in a scorching kiss before she could say anything else.

He slid his hands along her sides and repositioned her so they lined up and slowly began sinking into her.

Lucy let out a strangled cry at the sensation of him stretching her. Her back arched, Natsu's hands on her thighs keeping her spread open for him. She whimpered at the sensation of his strength keeping her open, allowing him to penetrate deeper. Her eyelids fluttered, her mind digging over with the sensation of his burning heat splitting her down the center.

She felt so full, aching heat warming her from the inside out. A sob of pleasure broke out from her chest, her hands clawing at his back to keep him from moving away.

She could hardly think or breathe, Natsu robbing her of all her senses save the blind pleasure keeping her trapped to him.

He withdrew, his hips pulling out until only the tip was bumping against her swollen clit. Lucy almost cried at the way he played with her, teasing her and becoming a dominating presence at her allowance. She needed more. More of his fire. More of his wildness.

Seeming to know her desire, Natsu plunged back into her, his cheeks flushing and sculpted chest heaving heated air. His fingers caught hers, grasping their hands together as he began to push her back to the edge.

His pace was rough and slow, but building in speed and intensity with each plow. Her bed creaked under the treatment, Natsu's snarling mouth capturing hers in a voracious kiss.

They were chasing their pleasure, Lucy tipping dangerously close to the edge. Natsu's hands grasped into her thick breasts, tugging at her nipples in a way that caused her to thrash against him.

It was the most delicious of agony, and just as she was about to go pounding off the edge to oblivion, Natsu pulled back. He edged her, keeping her just at that razor's edge.

Natsu couldn't tear his eyes off her. Watching her thrash and scream under him, swearing and pleading in turns, over the pleasure he was giving her was intoxicating.

His blood burned and boiled in a way he'd never dreamed it could when he did this, and he wasn't sure if he would ever get enough of it now that he'd had a taste.

He now understood the strange longing in Loke's voice.

He shifted their position again, enjoying Lucy's startled scream at the new sensation, and felt the warning twinge in his own belly. He was getting close. Time to end their game. He shifted one last time and began pounding into her relentlessly, pleased that she'd long since stretched enough he could without hurting her.

"Natsu, Natsu, Natsu..." She chanted over and over again, as he pulled them both back to that sharp edge. He felt her tense, lingering on the edge of the precipice, and dropped his mouth to a breast, eagerly sucking a nipple in. He teased it until it was hard and red before the need for air pulled him away, and he couldn't help grinning at the sight that greeted him.

His whole body was tense, pounding with molten lava as he watched how his hips drove Lucy into her mattress with every thrust. He loved watching her mouth open in a silent scream, her breasts bouncing in time with his movements. He could feel her tightening around him, her body pulsing as she became too filled up. There was no containment, the wet sounds of their rough lovemaking pressing between them.

A window shattered in Lucy's bedroom, a brick flying into the room and smashing the lamp right off the nightstand near their entangled bodies.

Lucy let out a soft screech, caught between a moan and a gasp of surprise. Natsu's rutting froze, pleasure coiling through his body like a maddening snake. A lick of flame coursed through his body, every heartbeat pulsing that fire hotter and hotter in his being. Pleasure melded into rage, his expression growing black as he turned towards the window and found the blond haired man from Prechts meeting with them climbing in through the window.

He was still joined to Lucy, who let loose a soft sound that was similar to that of a sob, "come on... _now_?"

Natsu reflected her sentiment, his entire body feeling like each nerve was set aflame. Lucy sat up, her creamy body glistening as sweat collected between the hollow of her breasts, her body flushed.

"Now now, look at this? Guess I caught you when you're in the middle of fucking your bodyguard miss Heartfilia. If I had known you were that easy, I would have applied for the job," the man, Zancrow, taunted. His mad eyes traveled over Lucy's body, cut off where Natsu threw a sheet over her.

"Deal with him Natsu," Lucy spat, far more furious than even Natsu was. She had been having some of the best sex in her life, just seconds away from a mind blowing orgasm...

And this jackass decided to break into her room and stop her from having her fun?

Natsu's girth was still splitting her folds, her eyes traveled down to where she saw her inflamed lips aching and red where they were wrapped around his hungry member. She ached to continue, but he was already withdrawing to follow her orders.

"Gladly." Natsu snarled darkly as he pulled out and away, shuddering at the screaming protest his body made when he did.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a similar shudder ripple through Lucy before she pulled the sheet more tightly around herself.

"What? You think you can take me like that?" Zancrow cackled and pulled out a gun, "Please. I can kill you with a single twitch of my finger. Don't worry though. I'll take your place with Miss Heartfilia before I take her back to the boss. I'm sure she won't mind."

Lucy twitched in revulsion, curling in on herself, as Natsu's expression darkened further.

"Not happening!" Natsu snarled as he stalked closer, but Zancrow just trained the gun on him.

"Ah ah ah lover boy. Not another step."

Natsu's eyes narrowed, and he seemed to blur for a second before suddenly reappearing directly in front of Zancrow. The blond yelped in shock as he jumped back, but he wasn't fast enough to get off a shot before Natsu had grabbed his wrist and jerked it sharply.

There was an audible crack and a moment of stunned silence before Zancrow's knees buckled and he started screaming in pain.

"What the hell man!" Zancrow cried as the gun clattered to the carpet, "You broke my wrist!"

"I'm going to break a lot more than that pal." Natsu snarled menacingly as he grabbed hold of the blond and pulled him roughly back to his feet.

Zancrow was slammed bodily into the wall, the dry wall practically creaking in protest from the amount of force Natsu used. He grabbed the back of Zancrows head and slammed his face into the wall, using almost enough force to punch a hole in it. Instead his nose shattered, blood smearing on the wallpaper.

Natsu threw him to the ground, Lucy watching as her lover pinned him down and threw his fist down on one of his knees. Zancrow let out a scream, one that was echoed and broke into a sob when Natsu destroyed his other one.

His hand lashed out to grasp around Zancrows throat in a bruising hold, his eyes furious as he tightened his grip. It was clear Natsu was contemplating crushing his trachea.

"That's enough Natsu, we will need to question him. Restrain him," Lucy ordered, drawing Natsu's furious gaze into her.

His expression was mutinous but he slowly released the death grip on Zancrow.

"I texted Jellal while you were smashing his face in," Lucy dragged herself off the bed while holding the phone. The sheet was tight around her body.

"Tie him up and dump him on my porch, Jellal will deal with him," Lucy said with a hint of impatience.

Natsu blinked a little as he processed her words and a razor sharp grin slowly crossed his features, "I'll be right back."

"There's rope in the hall closet." Lucy said, mildly distracted as her phone buzzed and she answered it, "Hello Erza. Yes, I'm fine. Natsu dealt with it..."

Natsu listened absently to Lucy's one-sided conversation as he dragged the whimpering Zancrow to the hallway and found the rope Lucy had promised. It was the good kind too. Rough and difficult to escape from. He smirked darkly as he pulled it out.

"Try not to struggle." He advised, "You'll make it hurt more."

To his disappointment Zancrow didn't respond except to whimper pathetically, and a curl of disgust wound through him. This was supposed to be an elite bodyguard? If that was the case, no wonder Lucy had been having trouble. Divested of his gun and bragging Zancrow had gone down easier than Devil Slayer's temperature when he was pissed.

He shoved the thought away, Lucy had _him_ now, and finished tying the blond up before dragging him down the stairs to dump him out on the porch. He didn't even notice the cool night air as he turned and headed back inside, bounded back up the stairs.

He headed automatically for her room, and paused with a frown when he didn't see her there.

"In here Natsu!" Lucy called from his room, and he hastily walked over to find her sprawled out on that mattress, her fingers rubbing teasingly at her clit.

"We can clean up tomorrow." She groaned hotly, "Shall we finish what we started?"

Natsu's eyes gleamed, his fingers twitching at the sight of her playing with herself on his bed. He groaned and dragged himself over to her, the heat coiling in his body just as inflamed as it was before.

His interest hadn't waned, descending back on Lucy to wrap himself on top of her. He growled, slanting his mouth over hers and dragging her deep back into him. Natsu's hands caressed her breasts and Lucy let out a mewl that had the temperature spiking between them.

He lined himself back up with Lucy, sinking back into her with a desperation that he couldn't hide. There was no more holding back. He was driven to make her feel good and he panted quietly as her heat encompassed him.

His mouth devoured hers, his burning hands grasping at every inch of her he could reach as he moved wildly within her, stoking the fire between them back into an inferno. Lucy was close, he could tell. She had been on that thin wire about to topple off just before they had been interrupted and Natsu wasn't going to let anything stop them now.

She let out choked off little cries, her fingers tugging deliciously at his hair. He panted, fangs scraping at her throat until that tension reached a snapping point.

That was all that was needed. She screamed as she flew to pieces in his arms in a way that no other woman ever had, and he held her tightly as the sensation of her rippling and clenching tightly around him. He struggled to hold on, to stay coherent so he could watch everything unfold, but it was too much all at once and his vision went white as the coil in his belly snapped.

He distantly heard himself roar as molten ecstasy poured through him in never ending waves.

His mouth fell open, the golden pleasure doing amazing things to his mind. Arms trembling, it was a great effort for Natsu just to hold himself upright.

"Lucy," he panted, bangs falling into his eyes, obscuring his vision. He could feel electric shocks zapping through his body, unable to stop himself from collapsing next to her.

He groaned, his arm heavy across her stomach. Nose dipping into her throat he sighed, "it's never been like _that_ before."

"You sure you ain't magic Lucy?" Natsu accused.

Lucy laughed breathlessly, still trembling and twitching from the aftershocks of the most intense orgasm of her life, even with the interruption, and curled around him.

"Pretty sure." She grinned, kissing him lightly on his collarbone, "Or maybe you just never had anyone worth your time before."

She knew she certainly hadn't.

Not even Loke had driven her that wild. There was something about Natsu that was intoxicating. If she hadn't still been twitching from the force of her pleasure, and exhausted, she might've been tempted to start another round.

As it was she snuggled close to him and yawned, "G'night Natsu."


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

In a secret lab in a hidden facility only a few miles away, Levy was also laying down for the night.

It had taken her hours, and more than one close call, but she'd finally managed to successfully hack the signal. She hadn't been able to get it to open the doors, much to Devil Slayer and Black Steel's disappointment, but she'd been able to piggyback an S.O.S. signal out with it as she'd originally intended.

"You sure that's gonna work shrimp?" Black Steel asked as he stretched out next to her.

There had been a brief moment of panic for her when it had become clear that there were no other beds in the cell, and their keepers apparently didn't intend to bring one. When she'd asked about it Black Steel had blushed a bit and mumbled out a confession that usually when women were brought to them it was to have fun with them before they were taken away for their own experiments.

That had worried her tremendously for all of thirty seconds before he'd dropped a hand on her head and assured her he had no intention of doing that. She was pretty enough he wouldn't mind, but she came from outside. And apparently to the subject's odd code of honor that meant something special.

Something sacred even.

And not to be despoiled by their own lusts.

It was kind of sweet in a strange cultish way.

Levy sighed where she was curled against Black Steel, wondering where exactly he had come from and what kind of life he might have lived before all of this.

Sometimes he disappeared from the cell, leaving Levy alone for hours at a time. But whenever he returned, bumped and bruised, she always tried to soothe his pains.

He was resilient though, far more than any person she had ever seen.

It felt like it had been weeks since she first arrived but logically she knew it had only been a handful of days at most. Levy had no idea really, there was no way to track time in this place.

No windows, no schedule, no glimpse of the outside world. Levy felt completely disconnected from her home. But that was probably intentional. Their wardens probably meant to distort the balance of time.

"It'll work," Levy smiled into his red eyes. She reached out and lightly touched a bleeding cut in his forehead.

"If nothing else the signal will eventually get to Lucy one day. You just have to be patient," Levy smiled and sat up.

She tugged loose an old bandana she had stuffed in her back pocket. She had lost her original one when she was being chased and this one was too large.

Bending forward she looked it around Black Steels head, tying it firmly in its spot.

"I heard them talking, they'll be coming for me today," Levy gave him an apologetic smile, "I'm not sure I'll survive what they'll do to me, but at least Lucy will track this location."

She tapped the bandana on his forehead, "Lucy got me this, she will recognize it. And she'll help you too when she comes trying to rescue me."

Black Steel shut his eyes in a pained grimace and curled her closer. He didn't want to lose her to the experiments. She was little and sweet and sassy and as much of a genius as Wizard Saint had been. It would be a crime to lose her to the insanity of the experiments.

But the only options to save her would mean violating the code he, Devil Slayer, and Salamander had come up with.

To never hurt someone from the outside without provocation.

To never force themselves on a woman who didn't want their attention.

And to never lose themselves to the experiments.

The last one wasn't relevant, but the first two were. If Levy were hurt they couldn't do the experiments on her until she healed up. It would be a one-shot deal but it might give her outside friends time to track her signal.

And if he had sex with her they'd let her stay. At least until it was clear if she was going to get pregnant or not.

They never outright said it, but Devil Slayer had figured it out years ago.

They brought in women from time to time to entice them into having sex. So they could breed a child like them. The thought had repulsed all of them, so they never participated unless the woman herself was willing. And Levy wasn't.

He looked across at Devil Slayer helplessly, not certain what to do, and the other man sighed, "You gotta tell her."

"Tell me what?" Levy asked curiously, perking up from where she'd been enjoying the feel of Black Steel's arms around her.

"There's a way you can get out of being taken." Devil Slayer replied, "Two actually. One, is for you to be injured. If you're hurt they can't experiment on you properly. They'd have to heal you up. The other..."

He trailed off and gave Black Steel a pointed look.

"The other way's with me." He grumbled after a moment of silence, red streaking his cheeks, "If it looks like I'm breedin' with you they'll let you stay longer. It's gotta be real though. They want us to breed magic babies."

"I'm sorry what?" Levy asked, her eyes going wide at the embarrassing comment. Especially about breeding.

The idea seemed ridiculous but she knew they weren't lying. These two had been raised practically in captivity. They only lied when they were on jobs.

They were honorable, and if this was the only way to save her from being experimented on than that must have been true.

"I'm sorry Levy, I wouldn't suggest this if— hell it goes against everything we set up for ourselves," Gajeel growled and turned away from her, his cheeks reddening

Levy blinked and touched a hand under his chin, feeling strangely comforted by his own embarrassment.

He was trying to help her out in whatever awkward way he was capable of figuring out. And Levy didn't know how to else he could help her unless it was a physical blow.

He was handsome, and unlike the alternative of getting beaten this seemed like the better solution.

"Hey, you would really do that for me?" Levy whispered to him, strangely touched by the comment. As odd as that was, she couldn't help but believe that, "you don't even know me."

"Lev, it would hardly be a punishment," Black Steel barked on a laugh, peeking over his shoulder at her.

He shifted around so he could face her and trailed his fingers over her face, "If you're willin' then so am I."

Levy thought back to her initial panic over the one bed and the implications of it. That must've been why. And her reaction must've been why he was reluctant to talk about it now.

She shifted up to her knees, her heart thumping a bit at the prospect of what she was about to do, of what he was willing to do to help her, and smiled, "Thank you Black Steel. That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever offered to do for me."

And it really was. Underneath the gruff demeanor and awkward delivery was genuine concern and caring. From both of them. She had no idea what she'd done to earn that, except maybe try to find an escape for all of them, but she was willing to grasp the opportunity to stay with both hands.

It wasn't like it was an unpleasant prospect for her either.

She reached out for one of his large hands and curled it around her waist, "Okay." She smiled, "Let's do this."

Black Steel stared at her in awe, looking as if he'd just swallowed his tongue, and slowly brought his other hand up to grasp her other side. He shifted so she was straddling his lap and buried his nose in her neck.

"You're somethin' else." He growled lowly, making her shiver, and gently traced his fingers over her spine, "I promise I'll make you feel good."

Levy shivered again, excitement stirring in her belly as Devil Slayer smirked and politely moved to the other end of his cell with his back to them.

-::-

Natsu woke up in his bed, completely naked and a curl of blond hair coiled under his chin. He stared blankly at it for a long moment before he hoisted himself upright and rolled his shoulders.

The sheet fell away, exposing creamy skin to his eyes and the memories of the previous night returned in flash.

Lucy mumbled something sweet in her sleep and rolled into the side, giving him a delightful view to all the small bites Natsu left scattered over her. She snored into her pillow and Natsu almost laughed. He must have given her one hell of a workout.

He rose and slipped out of bed, tugging the covers back up over her body to keep her warm without him there. He wasn't a stranger to how warm he ran at times.

Striding into the kitchen, he hunted down things he could make for them that were easy. Which essentially eliminated all of his options. He wasn't designed with culinary skills in mind. Even out on the field it wasn't critical for him.

Some of the projects, like him and Black Steel were designed to be hardy enough to be out on the field for long times without luxuries like food or running water.

They had sharper canines for pulling into raw meat if they had no other option and a digestive tract strong enough to handle eating raw meat. Not that he preferred that. Usually Natsu still burned it into a crisp before gnawing on his food.

Still that didn't leave many options for _Lucy_.

He grabbed a box of cereal, some milk and two bowls, proud of himself for remembering at least that much.

He rooted around a little more and came up with a serviceable looking tray a couple of napkins and spoons. With a look of concentration that was usually reserved for when he was in a fight or memorizing something, he carefully poured the cereal into the two bowls and arranged the rest on the tray.

He debated pouring the milk on too, but decided against it in case the cereal got mushy before he could wake Lucy up. Pleased with the setup, he carefully picked the tray up and headed back upstairs to his room.

To his pleasure Lucy hadn't done much more than shift in her sleep and wrap her arms around a pillow since he wasn't there. He smiled at the sight, his heart thumping a little at the thought she wanted to hold him in her sleep. How had he gotten this lucky?

He vividly remembered the day he, Black Steel, and Devil Slayer had made their pact. The rules they swore to live by outside a mission.

It had happened the first time women had appeared in their cells after their initial sex training. The poor things had been from the outside and terrified of them. Particularly once the guards had made it clear what they were there for.

Horrified, he'd raged that he would _never_ force anything on someone else the way those bastards always did to the three of them.

It hadn't gotten him much at the time except derisive laughter and three days of extra grueling sessions, but after that had been when he, Black Steel, and Devil Slayer had become more than projects that barely tolerated each other's company. He hadn't meant it to be that way, but his words had struck a chord with them, and afterwards they'd questioned him closely about why he felt that way.

The end result was their pact.

And now... now he was on the outside, and had met an outsider that not only allowed him to touch her, but made him feel things he'd never dreamed were possible.

It was terrifying and intoxicating and he knew he would never be able to give this up now.

He set the full tray onto one of the side tables, and carefully settled back down on the bed.

"Lucy..." He purred lowly, pressing himself against her and trailing his fingers over her more sensitive areas, "Time to wake up."

Lucy let out a quiet sigh and reluctantly pulled herself awake, giving the bright eyed Natsu a grumpy look.

She sat upright, the sheet barely clinging to her as she looked around herself. Her hands dropped down by her sides to support herself and sleepy eyes travelled over Natsu and the tray of cereal at his side.

She nearly snorted on a giggle at the sweet attempt he was making, even if he no doubt had no background knowledge of breakfast in bed and was just trying to be nice.

"Cereal hm?" She grinned at him as Natsu slid closer to her and poured the milk. It wasn't like the five star breakfast with a full course that she was used to, but his efforts were cute and honestly refreshing from any other man before. Even Loke, who had always been a gentleman, understood that what they had was strictly casual. They hadn't usually stayed together the whole night, and when they did their mornings were usually a rush of them getting ready for work.

Nothing quite so intimate...

Natsu munched in a spoonful of cereal, a wide smile transforming his face into something much gentler than she was used to seeing from him. It was like she was starting to see his real personality cracking through under his tough exterior.

Each time they got a little closer it came out to the surface more and more.

"Wasn't sure how to make anything else." He confessed between bites, "I never got any cooking training."

Lucy supposed that made sense. Why would a super soldier need to know much about the art of cooking?

"I could teach you if you were interested?" She offered as she dug into her own breakfast, "I'm not a five star chef or anything, but I know my way around a kitchen well enough."

Natsu's expression lit up in delight, and Lucy couldn't quite stifle a giggle at the plain enthusiasm he was showing. Somehow it didn't surprise her at all that he was excited by the prospect of anything to do with food. She'd seen how much he could demolish when left to his own devices.

She shifted a little as she finished her bowl and moved to set it on the tray only to immediately wince as her soreness from the previous night's activities made itself known.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked immediately, concern on his face, "Was I too rough?"

"Not at all!" Lucy smiled to re-assure him, "It was fantastic and perfect!" She shrugged a little,

"You're just larger and stronger than I'm used to." She poked him playfully, "And definitely more of a tease! So of course I'm a bit sore this morning."

Natsu grinned at her assurance and set his own empty bowl aside, "I could try to massage the soreness out of you?" He offered.

Lucy blinked and glanced at his lap, somehow not surprised to discover him eager for another round already, and smirked, "I'm not sure you'll help my soreness much if you massage me like you did last night."

She leaned over and curled her hand around him, "Though I might be able to help you with this anyway."

Natsu had been in the middle of giving her a dry look as if to tell her he meant an _actual_ massage this time, only to short circuit at her touch.

It was then and there that Natsu decided Lucy was really a devil woman. He was positive he wasn't going to escape her clutches with his soul intact. Not that he minded.

—::—

Lucy glanced over at Natsu whose expression was that of a man utterly blissed out. He had a dopey smile on his face that was attributed wholly to the reason why she had delicious sore spots littered all over her body.

For a bodyguard he sure knew how to leave a couple of bruises.

Unfortunately she wasn't allowed the privilege to soak in the happiness she was still floating high on. She had things to address to her gang as a whole and unfortunately the concern with Levy wasn't the only thing.

Black star had tipped their hand. Zancrow, who came to attack them had learned what the consequences of crossing Fairy Tail were, and Lucy was grateful she had made the choice to hire Natsu. He was ruthless and decisive in a fight, overpowering Zancrow with considerable strength Lucy hadn't known he'd been holding back until then.

Something she was incredibly grateful for.

She shook her head a little as she moved around the kitchen getting everything ready. Ordinarily, she might've headed in to Mira's club for this, but given the extremely sensitive nature of what she needed to talk about she wasn't willing to risk Blackstar overhearing. It was bad enough she'd had to put the word out the meeting had been moved up.

If Blackstar was watching they would know right away she was planning her next move. Fortunately, she'd expressed her concern to Natsu, who had immediately offered to go check the perimeter. He'd reported back there wasn't any sign of anyone immediately near her property, and she lived far back enough from the road it would be impossible to spy from a neighbor.

Nevertheless, caution had been her order for the day, so she'd instructed everyone to co-ordinate and come in as few cars as possible.

The sound of a car pulling up had Natsu snapping back to attention, and she flashed him a grin as various doors opened and closed and a few moments later Erza, Jellal, and the Strausses walked in.

"Lucy!" Lisanna exclaimed in relief at the sight of her, and rushed over, "Are you alright? We heard about what happened from Erza!"

"I'm fine." Lucy promised, "Natsu did a very good job."

Erza opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted as another car arrived and shortly Loke, Aries, Jet and Droy had joined them. Her old bodyguard took one look at her, and then at Natsu, and smirked a little as he curled his arm around Aries.

"Looks like you finally found a decent replacement." He commented as he wandered over to help himself to the food she'd set out, "So what happened?"

"I'll tell that story once everyone's here." Lucy huffed, rolling her eyes a little at his antics, "You know that."

Loke made a face at her, but turned his attention to small talk with the others. Though there was a sense of tension in the air as they milled around, waiting for the rest to show up. Lucy was in the habit of calling these sorts of meetings with some regularity, but those tended to be less business and more just relaxing and having fun.

This was different, and everyone knew why, but no one was comfortable enough to bring it up until Lucy got things started.

"Alright." Lucy said after Bisca and Alzack had arrived last, "Let's get this started. I know the main thing that's on everyone's mind, but we have some stuff to go over before we can get to that. First thing being Blackstar's attack last night."

"Precht showed his hand in trying to attack me, Jellal did you have a chance to question Zancrow?" She asked.

The sheriff nodded and stood up, using the opportunity to join Lucy and address the crowd, "Zancrow is a high level enforcer for a gang that has been using the alias of Blackstar to try and move in on our turf. Their name is Grimoire Heart, and they were going to use the ruse of their business to smuggle their gangbangers in. We would have had a war in our streets."

"Precht's name that his gang calls him is Hades, he's their leader. Because of Zancrow's botched kidnapping though they're going to know something went wrong," Jellal frowned.

"Which means they're not going to bother with subtlety. They're going to come knocking at our door, they won't care who gets hurt." Lucy explained, "this will be a lot like the incident with Phantom Lord, so be on your toes."

"I've heard of Grimoire Heart before, they're a large gang but have a few key members," Lucy frowned, "they traffic in weapons and drugs, neither of which I want on my streets. So let's clean this up."

There were scowls and nods all around that had Lucy smiling in approval, "I'll co-ordinate with Jellal, Erza, and Mira for a more detailed plan. For now, keep on your guard, and keep your ears to the ground. Anything even slightly out of the ordinary needs to be reported immediately. If you suspect you're being followed make your way to Cana's, Mira's or Loke's for cover."

There were grim nods again, and Lucy sighed, "Alright. Our next order of business is considerably less mundane, and relates to what happened to Levy..."

"Not just Levy." Jellal interrupted with a grimace, "There have been two more reported disappearances since, and at least one homicide."

Natsu's face twisted in rage, "They didn't."

"They did." Jellal confirmed, "The body recovered was... horrific."

Natsu snarled, his fists clenching tightly, and Lucy put her hand on his arm to calm him down.

"We'll get them for it." She promised, and turned to the rest of the gang, unsurprised to see Erza was the only one not looking confused. Good. She was glad Jellal had come clean to her at least. Their eyes met and the redhead nodded slowly.

"Who's they?" Jet asked, looking considerably disturbed, "What did they do to Levy?"

"We don't know yet." Lucy replied grimly, "As for who 'they' are... they're no one to take lightly."

She carefully began explaining what she'd learned from Natsu and Jellal about the Agency, and their 'subjects'. About the torture and experimentation to provoke magic in people to create super soldiers, and how both Natsu and Jellal had escaped.

Both men were largely silent during the telling, though they were quick to clarify or correct details. Neither looked happy, and neither would look at anyone as she spoke.

"So what are our options," Cana spoke up, her eyes flashing to the two men who were stone silent, "these jokers have been taking members from our town and getting away scott free. How do we plan to catch them?"

"We're working on a plan currently," Lucy sighed, squeezing her fingertips into the bridge of her nose, "but for now we have to deal with this one step at a time. If we divide our attention across both of these issues we won't make it anywhere."

"We don't want Blackstar to get he drop on us while looking for Levy and we don't need the goons from the agency breathing down our necks while we handle Hades," Lucy lifted her chin, "which is why I'm going to have us watch our backs."

"Hades wants me. So I say we give him what he wants. An audience where he can show off his muscle," Lucy frowned, "and while he's doing that, we can take them out while they're in one place."

"Efficient," Erza responded, her eyes regarding Lucy with interest, "then I'll proceed with plans."

"I'll set up a blockade in case any slip out," Jellal nodded, "that way we can catch all of Grimoire heart in one sweep."

"We'd better do it quickly." Jet said grimly, "There's no telling how long Levy has before these magic experiments take effect."

"They won't experiment on her right away." Natsu spoke up, looking up for the first time since the discussion of his origins began, his eyes burning fiercely, "She's more likely to be sent to Black Steel or Devil Slayer first."

"Why's that?" Lucy asked curiously, intrigued by the idea there were two more like Natsu in the compound.

Natsu shifted a little uncomfortably, "We three were the successes after Wizard Saint." He waved over at Jellal, "Jellal. They... want us to produce more. So they send in women sometimes."

"They do what?!" Jet shouted, "Lucy!"

Natsu held up his hands, "She's not gonna be hurt!" He exclaimed, "Black Steel, Devil Slayer, and I... we made a pact. We don't force anything on anyone outside of a mission. We've had enough forcing in our lives."

Jellal nodded, distaste twisting his features, "I was the same way." He agreed, "I couldn't stop the experiments on them, but I could at least not hurt anyone myself."

Lucy nodded, "I believe you Natsu. But I have to ask, how long will that last?"

Natsu shrugged a little, "Dunno. It depends. The only ways to keep her out of experimentation would be to injure her or have sex with her. Knowing Black Steel and Devil Slayer they might've warned her. If she chooses to sleep with one of them then she's got at least a month before she's taken."

"I know which one Levy would pick." Cana mused, "She's smart enough to try and buy us some time to find her, and if the guys inside are like Natsu she wouldn't hesitate to hop in the sack with them to do it." She frowned, "Is there any circuitry or anything where you were kept Natsu?"

Natsu blinked a little in surprise, "Well sure. There's the lights and things, and the main door panel."

"Is there a way Levy could've gotten to any of it?" Cana persisted, "Taken off a panel, hotwired a circuit maybe?"

Natsu frowned a little, "Probably. None of us ever tried. We wouldn't know what to do with stuff like that, so they might not have guarded it. They just want to keep us from reaching the door panel itself to escape."

A triumphant grin lit Cana's face, "Then who wants to bet our little hacker has been all inside that system?" She asked, "And if she can get into the system..."

"She can send a signal out!" Loke exclaimed, a feral grin curling his lips.

"That's assuming the doors operate on a system she can hack into," Jet reasoned, "our Levy is good but not even she can hack into something that's not there."

He glanced at Natsu, "how do those doors operate?"

The man just blinked at him, looking very confused by the question. He swallowed and shook his head.

"Uh by opening and closing?" He asked, staring at both Jet and Droy like they were very slow.

"No Natsu," Lucy set her hand on his shoulder, "he means are they set up to a separate network that's controlled by the facility?"

Natsu again shook his head, his brows creasing as he tried to understand what they were trying to ask him. He didn't get it.

"I don't get it, networks? Doors?" He growled in frustration.

Jellal cleared his throat as Jet and Droy looked like they were about to fling themselves over where Natsu was standing and forcibly shake him.

"When you were released from your cell Natsu, did the guard use a keycard or did the doors open on their own?" He asked, spelling it out as clear as he could.

"Oh, shoulda just asked me that," Natsu grumbled and straightened his shoulders, "the cells have a manual keycard that will work from the outside in the case of power shortage, but the cells are opened electronically by remotes the guards hold."

"Other areas of the facility are controlled only by manual keycard though," Natsu continued.

"How did you escape?" Droy asked, "did you steal a keycard?"

He shook his head at him, "window."

"They just had an open window where you could teach it?" Droy asked in disbelief. Natsu just gave him an annoyed glare and shook his head.

"Went through it."

There was a moment of slightly stunned silence and Jellal snorted a little in amusement, "That actually makes complete sense."

He eyed Natsu with something a little closer to trust than he had previously, "On your way back from training?"

Natsu shrugged a little and nodded, "They were just doing a routine checkup that time. I'd been real good for the past six months so they didn't restrain me. Stupid move on their part. As soon as the guards left I killed the nurse and made a break for it."

"That explains the hospital gown." Lucy muttered, and shook her head, "Alright, so we know the doors operate on a signal. If Levy was able to backdoor into it she might've been able to send a signal back out." She looked at Jet and Droy, "I still have my old radio comm. Take it with you and start monitoring signals. It's a long shot, but if anyone could get something out to us on something that flimsy it would be Levy."

The two men nodded and Lucy turned her attention to the rest of the room, "The rest of us will get ready to deal with Grimorie Heart. Agreed?"

There was a shout of agreement and in moments various members had broken up into clusters discussing what they were going to do and how they were going to do it.


	10. Chapter 10

**TW: Panic Attacks**

**CHAPTER 10**

Natsu frowned at the pan in his hand. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple, the enemy he was facing not giving any ground. This might have been a fight he couldn't come out on top.

"Oh for Mavis sake, they're just scrambled eggs Natsu," Lucy groaned from where she sat at the island waiting for Natsu to finish mastering breakfast.

"Hush Lucy, I'm concentrating," Natsu replied, not turning his attention away from his sacred task.

"Excuse me, I'm your boss!" Lucy feigned offense at his distracted comment, "you should address me more politely!"

"Yes boss, you're very scary. So intimidating, now remind me again how you like your pancakes shaped like bunnies?" Natsu smirked at her over his shoulder.

Lucy gasped, getting up to swat at his shoulder, "I told you that in confidence Natsu!"

"That was your first mistake really," Natsu grinned, laughing at her squealing offense, "besides, it's kind of cute even if it's weird."

"It's not weird!" Lucy huffed, "And pay attention to your eggs before they burn!"

Natsu whipped his head back around to the eggs, but of course it was too late. In the few moments of inattention he'd had they'd somehow congealed into a lump and were dangerously brown on one side. Edible perhaps, but not particularly appetizing looking.

Natsu sighed as he lifted the pan off the stove and dumped the contents onto a plate that already had the carcasses of four other eggs he'd attempted earlier.

"I don't get how you do this so easily!" He whined in frustration as Lucy quickly mixed up another batch, noting mournfully she'd need to get more eggs after this.

"Let me show you." She replied as she moved back over with the bowl, and he shot her a pout.

"But you already have."

Lucy shook her head as she poured the eggs into the pan and moved her hand over his, "No. Let me _show_ you how it's done."

Natsu blinked as she deftly guided him through the movements, showing him how to manipulate the spatula until he had a perfect mound of fluffy eggs.

"That's how you do it!" She grinned as she deftly divided her share off and topped it with cheese, "See? Perfect."

"Whoa, that's amazing!" Natsu gaped, utterly fascinated by the ease of which she made eggs. He grinned, dragging his plate over to hers and plopped down next to her.

He also carried the plate of ruined eggs, piling them onto his own before offering some to Lucy with a happy nod.

Unwilling to deny him his hard work in scrambling eggs, she scooped up a piece that looked the least burnt and added it to her own. This seemed to satisfy Natsu, who began to happily shovel the food in his mouth as if he were starved.

Which Lucy knew he very much wasn't, but he really did have an insane appetite.

"Have you always eaten so much?" Lucy asked him, somewhat fascinated by the carnage unfolding in her table. She passed him a napkin and pulled her own plate away from the danger zone.

Natsu nodded, "nothing good like this and mostly intravenously." He flexed his arm, "we have a quick metabolism, but our bodies require a lot of nutrients."

"Lots of ready made meals, they monitored what we ate closely so to better control the experiments," Natsu shrugged, "I love food."

"I can tell," Lucy blinked, somewhat understanding now why he had no idea what hot chocolate was, or even the concept of "sweet."

Lucy finished eating, choosing not to distract Natsu from his meal. She stood up once he was finished though and drew her hand over the line of his shoulders.

He straightened, and Lucy delighted in feeling the tension of his muscles tighten and flex under her hand.

"Now Natsu, we have a bit of time before my meeting with Precht. What do you say I take you out and show you a bit of the world."

She leaned forward, her hand sliding over his shoulder and down his chest. A coy smile flashed over her face when his dark eyes met hers. His narrowed with suspicion, but he held still as she lightly dragged her fingertips exploratory over his chest.

She felt his breath catch and a flicker of heat working its way in his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Natsu murmured.

"The cinema and lunch," she leaned towards him, her hand pressing into his solid neck while her lips grazed his ear, "perhaps dessert afterwards?"

"Not before?" He growled softly, his hands coming up to graze her hips, "You know how much I like sweet stuff."

Lucy smirked and pulled back, "If we have dessert now we'll never get to the other stuff." She tapped his nose playfully, "And I don't know about you, but I'm tired of staring at walls."

Natsu perked a little in interest before frowning and giving her a suspicious look, "Wait, does this mean another ride in your evil death trap?"

Lucy grinned at him in amusement as she twirled her keys, "Depends... can you drive?"

Natsu blinked at her in surprise, "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Lucy confirmed, "Your motion sickness might not act up if you were the one in control of the car."

Natsu swallowed a little at the idea, a hungry hope lighting his face, but he shook his head sadly, "No, the agency never taught us that."

Lucy sighed a little regretfully but smiled and patted his arm, "Hey, it's alright. I'll get Loke to teach you how to drive once this is over. He's really good. In the meantime I promise the only driving we'll do is into town and back home. We can walk the rest of the time. Deal?"

Natsu hesitated a little, not sure if a day out was worth the death trap, but the hopeful expression in her eyes had him swallowing, "Alright." He relented, "But it's your fault if I puke everywhere."

Lucy placed a happy kiss against his cheek and smudged the spot her lipstick left with her thumb, "you'll be a quick study. Besides, I'll need my bodyguard to drive me."

Natsu grunted in reluctance but rose to carry their dishes to the sink. He rinsed them off and placed them in the washer, attention drawing back to Lucy.

He couldn't wait for his dessert. His eyes tracked down over Lucy's body, a lazy movement as his charge flashed a maddening smile at him.

—::—

Natsu stared up at the strange building stretching before them. A cinema, Lucy had called it. He shifted around, his eyes narrowed on the thick crowd of people gathered around them. Lucy didn't seem to mind, but Natsu was tense. He didn't like being around so many strange people and neither did he care for being unable to fully move.

But by the way the line moved and Lucy's smile, it told Natsu this was very normal. That alone calmed him a quite bit as they got tickets and filed inside a colorful looking building.

There was a bright looking concession stand, that had all sorts of candies, sweets, and popcorn. He really wanted to try it all, but instead merely focused on a 'classic' popcorn.

Unsure what was going to happen next, and a little excited, Natsu let Lucy take his hand and lead him into the showing she had picked out.

However his smile and excitement dimmed when they entered a dark room filled with stadium seating. Natsu's nerves spiked when Lucy lead him to some seats in the middle, Lucy insisting they were good ones. All he could see was that they were far from any exits.

He settled down in the chair, stiff and uncomfortable in the small seat. Lucy drew her hand over Natsu's knee, his breath evening out at the gentle touch.

He thought perhaps it would be okay until a screen before them flashed with color and a deafening boom of speakers nearly blew out his ears.

His grip on the armrests tightened reflexively as he tried to remind himself he wasn't on a battlefield. It was a lost cause though as the boom turned into an equally loud voice dramatically talking about some world. He couldn't understand it though as he was suddenly back at the agency being all but strapped down and forced to watch their training reels.

Why had Lucy brought him here?!

"Natsu what's wrong?" She asked in concern beside him, though it was hard to hear her over the ringing in his ears, and he turned to look at her in disbelief.

Her expression though, what he could make out of it, was genuinely worried. Was she not affected by this torture? How was that even possible?

Her hand covered his, stroking a gentle line against the back and he flinched reflexively. She stopped immediately, her worry turning into outright alarm, "Natsu?"

He struggled to breathe, and tried to force himself to answer her, to explain what was wrong. But the words never came. The deep voice gave way to a clamor of other voices and an explosion that had him reacting instinctively.

Without warning he leapt to his feet and tore towards the nearest exit, heedless of the indignant exclamations left in his wake. In his head all he could think about was before, when it was him, Black Steel, and Devil Slayer trapped in rooms just like that for hours on end. Of combat zones and the screams of the dead and dying.

It wasn't until he'd shoved his way back out into the bright sun that reality began to assert itself and he was able to slow down and breathe again.

He paused outside the building, away from the large crowd and peering eyes, and braced himself against a wall as he dragged in great lungfuls of air. A soft hand against his shoulder had him nearly jumping out of his skin, but when he whipped around he only saw Lucy's worried face.

"Natsu what's wrong? What happened?" She asked.

"Why did you bring me in there?" Natsu demanded instead, drawing in a shaky breath. He couldn't grasp the feeling completely, but he was still reeling from shock. Shock that Lucy had taken him to a place like that, lead him in by the hand and with a smile on her face.

"The movies?" Lucy frowned back at him, a little surprised by almost the hostility she could see in his eyes. But it was curbed by a slight panic and Lucy faced him boldly.

"Natsu this is a place people take their family and friends," Lucy met his eyes, "I thought you would like it. Tell me what happened so we don't do it again okay?"

She had seen many people from all different paths of life. All of them came from one kind of trauma to another, so Lucy was patient as she watched Natsu gather his wits.

"I'm sort Lucy, I didn't mean to snap," Natsu panted, meeting her eyes. Her calmness leeched into him and settled his nerves. He knew Lucy hadn't tried to hurt him on purpose. She looked just as confused and worried as would be genuine.

"The lights were blinding, and the sound. They hurt my ears," Natsu shivered, "but worst of all it reminded me of Education. Where my handlers would take Devil Slayer and Blacksteel, cram us all into a dark room like that, in chairs just like that, and a big screen like that..."

"And show us videos of assignments. Jobs that needed to be carried out. To desensitize us to death, or to punish us," Natsu breathed out to her.

He straightened his back and shook his head, "I apologize for running. I'm your bodyguard, I shouldn't leave you alone, right?"

No you shouldn't," Lucy agreed, her fingertips lightly pinching at his chin, "Come, make it up to me then."

Natsu blinked when Lucy grasped his hand against, but instead of leading him back inside the theater, she dragged him down the sidewalk and threw caution to the wind.

"We're not going back inside?" He asked in bewilderment.

Lucy looked up at him and smiled impishly, "I suddenly don't feel like seeing a movie." She replied, "I think I'd rather do something outdoors." Her expression brightened, "Hey, why don't we get a couple of swimsuits and wander down to the boardwalk? It's been ages since I've been to the beach!"

Natsu didn't believe that for a second, but he couldn't help smiling a little as she half dragged him down the street with new energy. It was sweet of her to change her plans for him, and he appreciated that she wasn't going to keep poking and prodding at the issue.

"Won't the beach be crowded though?" He asked, a hint of teasing appearing in his voice as he started to relax, belief that it really had all been a misunderstanding starting to take root.

"Not this time of day." Lucy replied with a shrug, "We might see some crowds later, but we've got a little while longer before that happens."

Natsu shrugged a little at that, willing to defer to her greater knowledge, and felt his breath catch a little as he got his first real look at the ocean. He'd had water training before of course, plenty of it, some of it even saltwater. But this... this was water like he'd never seen before. He doubted Devil Slayer had even ever seen something like this. And Devil Slayer was a favorite for water type missions.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Lucy murmured next to him, her hand squeezing his a bit and he jumped a little as he looked over at her, and felt something in him uncoil and relax.

"Yeah." He agreed roughly, "Yeah it is."

Lucy grinned up at him and tugged him lightly along towards a collection of wooden buildings that revealed themselves to be shops. Very fun looking shops with bright colors and large doors and windows. Natsu grinned as he relaxed completely in the sparse crowd. There were no major barriers between him and escape or attack, and he had a very good view of everything happening all around him. Best of all the day was warming up nice and sunny.

So far he was definitely liking this boardwalk place a lot more than the cinema.

Lucy giggled a little at his expression and tugged him towards a shop selling funny clothes and brightly colored towels, "C'mon! Swimsuits, and beach fun await!"

Natsu wasn't quite sure what a swimsuit was, however he had enough of a background in water missions to recognize these weren't wet suits. They weren't even comparable.

He didn't even see the point in wearing the little scraps of fabric Lucy was fluttering around.

They wouldn't do anything to keep body heat in while under cold temperatures. Lucy might as well go naked with the stringy Little two piece she picked out for herself.

Functionally, Natsu didn't see a point to the weird feeling shorts she thrust in his hands. They were a dark red with dancing flames across the bottoms, he couldn't help but smile a bit at the funny choice she made on his behalf.

It wasn't likely he was going to get a more interesting pair of clothing. Especially once he found Lucy paying for it and quickly shoving him towards a dressing room with instructions to strip. He got the feeling she hadn't meant that in the literal sense, but he couldn't help but smirk when he quickly slid into the dressing room beside Lucy's. He didn't intend on wandering far from her this time. He was her body guard, weird bathing suit or not.

He got dressed in a flash and waited outside for her to get ready, his own clothes bundled up neat under his arm.

After a few agonizing minutes, because how long did it really take for this woman to put on what equated to strings and triangles, Natsu lifted his chin when Lucy emerged with a smirk over her rosy lips.

His eyes scanned her, unable to help the sudden dryness in his mouth or warmth curling in his veins.

She stood in front of him, bittersweet chocolate eyes doing a full sweep of him as she sauntered towards him with a sway to her hips that he found indecent. The suit was black, fairly conservative compared to the other things he had seen her eyeing, but no less enticing. It was a black, strappy two-piece, with cords crisscrossing over her bosom. Her hand settled at his shoulder, tickling at his neck while his eyes traveled over her smooth body. Soft and delicious in all the right places. He was thoroughly distracted from the incident at the cinema now, and Natsu suspected that was her intent all along.

"Mm... I think we might have to come to the beach more often." She purred, trailing her hand down his shoulder and across his chest as she walked around him and grinned unashamedly at the smirking saleslady holding a nice bag stuffed full of towels, sunscreen, and a few other things.

"You two have fun out there!" She called as Lucy slipped the bag over her shoulder and slid on a pair of sunglasses.

"You know we will." She grinned back and nudged Natsu, "C'mon, let's go get a couple of chairs!"

Natsu blinked, unsure of what Lucy was babbling about this time, until she led him out onto the sand and he saw a line of umbrellas and weird looking chairs that vaguely reminded him of some of the more uncomfortable chairs the doctors had used. But the sight of others lounging on them, without restraints, and relaxing quickly settled his uneasiness.

It seemed there were a lot of things on the outside he was going to have to learn weren't used for the same things they had been on the inside. Somehow it didn't surprise him one bit that the agency had bastardized this stuff.

He followed gamely as Lucy headed over to a booth and rented a set of chairs for the whole day from the smiling attendant before dragging him over to their designated spot and plopping down on one.

"So what now?" He asked curiously as she started digging through their bag and handed him a towel.

"Now we get some sunscreen on and have some fun." Lucy replied firmly, and glanced at him, "You're familiar with sunscreen right?"

Natsu snorted a little, "I may not be used to the outside, but I'm not _that_ out of touch. It's standard kit for extreme climates."

"Just checking." Lucy smirked as she began slathering her arms, "Help me get my back?"

Natsu's mouth went dry again at the prospect of rubbing lotion on all that tantalizing skin, and he began to wonder if he would actually survive until 'dessert' at this rate.

"Yeah, sure thing boss," Natsu smirked at her, surprised he managed to say that without swallowing his own tongue in the process. He plucked the lotion from where it was nestled in a towel and squeezed a dollop onto his open palm.

He had never reacted to strongly to a woman before. Lust and sex had just been a clinical lesson, something he had to excel in like everything else. He wondered if this strong attraction he felt for Lucy was because he genuinely liked the fiery blond.

Sure, he was observant enough to notice she was gorgeous, but looks rarely held any sort of impact on Natsu.

Perhaps it was because that was combined with such an alluring personality and character, Natsu was unable to draw away. It was easier to keep her at bay when he held her at arms length.

But she cracked open his walls since the night they danced together, and while their relationship was physical... Natsu thought he was getting attached.

He warmed the lotion in his hands, smirking as it became more of an oil. He ran his free hand along her back, not bothering to hide the smile he knew she couldn't see and swept her hair over her shoulder. Rubbing his hands together and getting them slick, he slid his palms against Lucy's back.

Lucy hummed happily at the sensation, her back arching into his hands. He scooted forward so he was sitting just in the edge of his chair.

"Don't forget to be thorough," Lucy said breathlessly. Natsu just laughed at the slyness in her voice and continued his movements until her back and sides were covered.

"Have I been anything less yet?" He asked softly, slipping a teasing hand under a strap to lightly caress the side of her breast before retreating. As interested as he was in taking it further, he had no interest in an audience.

After spending most of his life in captivity, constantly under watch and never alone except in his head, the idea of others seeing what he shared with Lucy was decidedly distasteful. Her in the throes of pleasure was something he wanted to keep for his eyes only.

Maybe there was a quiet spot somewhere on this beach?

The thought intrigued him and he glanced around as he worked. The sand extended a fair ways on either side, but there were also a few rocky cliffs and such that might hold such a hiding spot.

He filed the thought away as he finished his work and leaned in to plant a kiss on her neck, "I'm not sure I'll be able to wait until dessert at this rate." He rumbled in her ear, "I'm getting hungry now."

Lucy smirked as she shifted to look at him, "Patience is a virtue."

"Virtue's not something I've ever had." Natsu smirked back at her and leaned in to drop a kiss directly on her lips.

"Hm, maybe not." Lucy hummed as she pulled away, and caressed his belly, "But think of how much better it'll be if you wait."

Natsu wasn't so sure about that, but he didn't protest as she finished putting her sunscreen on and handed it over to him. He eyed the bottle in amusement before tossing it back in the bag, "I don't burn."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded readily enough, and got up, "C'mon then, let's go swimming!"

Natsu shook his head in bemusement but happily followed her down to the water, quietly plotting ways to get his hands on her regardless. He quickly found himself distracted though as Lucy introduced him to all the various things outsiders did at the beach. It was easily the most nonsensical time in and near water he'd ever had, and he loved every moment of it.

From building sandcastles, to collecting shells, to just walking along the water. He loved it all. Though he suspected a lot of it was due to the woman he was with.

Around midday she led him back to the boardwalk where they spent some time browsing the shops and he downed half a dozen hamburgers without trying.

"I have got to ask Jellal how he keeps up with this." She said in amusement as she chewed on a fry, "We might need to do the same for you before you cause a food shortage."

"Jellal is strong but he wasn't built the same way Black Steel and I were. He doesn't have the same appetite," Natsu thumped his fist against his chest, clearing it of any food debris.

"He and Devil Slayer are made for assassination based missions and infiltration," Natsu grunted, "I'm built to go through walls."

"Literally?" Lucy snorted, almost believing he could do that. But at Natsu's thoughtful expression and eventual nod, her jaw dropped.

"Really?" Lucy asked, interested in that.

"Yeah, I can bend metal and smash brick, ain't nothin' compared to what Black Steel can do with it though. Jackass can bite clean through wrought iron," Natsu smirked, turning towards the railing and looking at the ocean.

His expression was fond and wry, and Lucy realized perhaps for the first time by the way Natsu spoke about them... that he missed his cellmates.

"They're your friends aren't they?" Lucy asked, seeming to startle him with the comment.

"No," Natsu murmured, his eyes narrowing on Lucy in confusion, "we didn't cultivate friendships."

"You sure about that?" Lucy asked wryly, "Because it sounds to me like you might miss them."

Natsu frowned a little, "But we don't do any of the things friends do." He replied, though it almost sounded more like a question, "We're always fighting."

"What is it friends do?" Lucy asked curiously, wondering if Natsu even had a real concept of friendship after everything he'd been through.

Natsu's frown deepened as he struggled to find the right words, "Friends... do stuff together." He replied, "The scientists were always talking about doing stuff with their friends. Playing games, and drinking. Devil Slayer, Black Steel, and I... we weren't like that. I wanted to kill them most of the time."

Lucy leaned back a little as she pondered that, "And yet you came up with a code of honor amongst yourselves." She replied, "It's a pact you're so certain of you immediately assured us they wouldn't hurt Levy. You didn't even hesitate. You even promised us that if she did sleep with one of them, they would be gentle."

She tilted her head slightly, "And you miss them. I can hear it in your voice when you talk about them. Maybe they pissed you off, and you were always fighting, but you still had each other's backs didn't you?"

"I... guess?" Natsu replied uncertainly, a little stunned by her argument.

Lucy smiled at him, "Given you never had a chance to interact like normal people I'm not surprised you don't think of them as friends. But Natsu, friendship isn't always doing stuff together. It's having each other's backs no matter what. It's helping each other out and being a shoulder to cry on." She spread her hands, "Do you think I could've built what I have without friends like that?"

Nastu had to admit she had a point. More than one possibly. And he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He and Devil Slayer were always at each other's throats, and Black Steel wasn't far behind. But...

But hadn't Black Steel covered his ass in training and on missions before? And there was that time he'd gotten sick from the experiments and Devil Slayer had kept forming blocks of ice to keep him from burning up. He'd suffered dearly for it in training the next day, but when he'd come back, bloody and bruised, he'd done nothing more than give Natsu a satisfied look when he'd seen him sitting up and eating.

Was it possible they could be friends? He wasn't sure, but now he kind of wanted to find out.

"We'll get them out." Lucy promised quietly into the silence that had descended between them, "Them and Levy."

He stared into her fierce expression and felt a surge of emotion he struggled to identify before realizing it was the same one he'd felt when he'd escaped. Hope.

"Yeah." He agreed, feeling as if he was making a vow every bit as important as his pact, "Yeah we will."

Lucy smiled and got up, "Now, if you're done with that, and still have room, I want to show you the greatest thing for cooling off on a hot day."

Natsu perked a little at that, "Oh? What is it?" He grinned, "Can I eat it?"

Lucy grinned back, "As a matter of fact... you can."

Really curious now he got up and eagerly followed her to a cool stall that read "Snowcones and Ice Cream" at the top.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Lucy sighed, looking at her reflection and braided her hair up into a sleek but elegant bun. She looked at her appearance critically, sliding a sharp, but decorative hairpin into the bun to keep it in place. It was time for the confrontation with Grimoire Heart that Lucy was waiting for.

She wasn't terribly excited for it though, and neither was Natsu. For a moment she contemplated having him wear one of his suits for the sheer intimidation factor a fine one could make, but upon realizing the very high likelihood of a fight breaking out decided against it.

Unlike Loke, Natsu wasn't used to fighting in a tailored suit. Lucy didn't want him ripping off the sleeves in the middle of a fight if he deemed they were too constrictive. She had every faith he would do precisely that too.

However Lucy still needed to look presentable. It was the image she wore for herself, elegant and untouchable. As if this were all beneath her.

She rose from her vanity, and unlike Natsu she had no problem fighting in a business suit, tailored to her precisely by Aries' careful hand. Patting herself down in various places where she had several weapons discreetly hidden on her person, she strode to the door where Natsu was waiting outside.

He had opted for a pair of jeans that looked like they fit him deliciously well around his trim hips and a deep red short sleeved shirt that stretched across his shoulders and hugged his biceps. Lucy gave him an admiring look for a moment, unable to help but be pleased by the mouthwatering figure he cut.

However he turned when he noticed her there, a smile widening over his face at the sight of her and something in her chest warmed.

He kept showing new sides to her, and Lucy was always by something new he expressed. In front of the others, he was still reserved and guarded, although he was opening up more to both Jellal and Erza. Those were the ones he interacted with the most, but his open smiles and the warmth in his eyes... Lucy had only seen it directed at her.

She wasn't entirely sure when it had begun, though she suspected their day at the beach had been the catalyst, but it made her heart thump a little to know he trusted her that much. Especially after the disaster at the movies.

Though she rather thought she'd made up for it the rest of the day.

The memory had her smiling back at him. That day had possibly been one of the best of her life. He took such refreshing childlike joy in the world despite his harsh life, and she certainly couldn't complain about how he'd put his training to use later in the day.

She shivered a bit at the memory of the secluded little cove he'd discovered and the way he'd been unable to keep his hands off her once they were away from prying eyes. It had been naughty and exhilarating and she'd loved every moment of it as he'd taken her.

"You're not thinkin' about Precht boss." Natsu smirked as she stepped up to him, "I can tell."

"Mmm... no." She agreed, "I was thinking about our beach trip. I think I'd like to go back to our cove once this mess is settled."

Natsu chuckled lowly, "Any time you want boss." He purred, "Any time at all."

Lucy smirked at him, "Later. Lets deal with Grimoire Heart first."

Natsu nodded and opened the door for her, his business face of a slight scowl dropping into place as she slid behind the wheel. That prompted her to pull her mask on as well as he joined her, though she couldn't quite contain an apologetic wince at the green look that appeared as soon as he sat down.

Loke had been giving Natsu lessons in driving, and as Lucy suspected, so long as he retained control of the car he was in decent shape. Unfortunately according to Loke's reports and the donuts burned in the asphalt outside Lucy's house, Natsu took a bit too much glee in the speed and acceleration of the car.

He was currently banned from driving until Jellal gavehim the go ahead, being as he was the sheriff and a stickler for the few rules he cared for. Driving safely was one of them.

Natsu took that opportunity to point out Lucy had nearly run him over in their first encounter, but that earned him a flick to his ear.

Lucy smiled over at where her bodyguard was currently slumped against the window, hot breath fogging the glass from the inside. She wondered, not for the first time, just how he worked. With his magic and all the experiments, sometimes he was hot to the touch, burning under her palms depending on what he was doing. When he became enraged, smoke puffed from the corners of his lips and flames flickered to life against his skin.

She wondered if he had a living flame in him, or if he was fire itself. He certainly had the nature of it.

It would do them all well in what they were about to face

The car erupted in the soft chiming of an incoming call, her eyes falling to the onboard dash where the Bluetooth picked up a call from Jellal. She thumbed the answer button, flashing Natsu an apologetic smile as the man moaned and slunk further in his seat.

"Hey Jellal, what do you got?" She asked.

"Just an update," Jellals voice came smooth over the speakers. Natsu made a sound of dismay and curled his hands over his ears.

"Grimoire Heart has arrived in droves, I think they're trying to overwhelm us by sheer numbers, but we've managed to use our resources in the station to divert them off the main roads and on the outskirts of the city," Jellal continued while Lucy patted Natsu's knee.

"I don't care about the small fryJellal, just keep them contained until we take out the higher ranking members," Lucy curled her hand higher along Natsu's thigh. She could feel his breathing begin to deepen and even out from her touch.

"Where are their top players?" She asked.

"As you predicted, they are hiding out of sight, ready to spring a surprise trap," Jellal hummed, "You know Lucy, I could wrap this up for you quickly. If I used my abilities—"

"With the agency snooping around? Only as a last resort are _either_ of you to use your powers," Lucy said sharply, "No use in drawing their attention. Let them keep searching for you both blindly."

"But should we need your powers, don't be afraid to light them up," Lucy allowed, her eyes flashing to Natsu, "If it's to protect your life, the life of a Fairy Tail member, or one of the townsfolk, you have permission to engage with your particular kind of _force_."

Natsu raised an eyebrow despite his green complexion, but said nothing. The car remained quiet for a moment before Jellal huffed a little.

"You never cease to amaze me Lucy." He said in amusement, "You would've made a good queen in ancient times."

"Empress thank you very much." Lucy smirked, "I would've conquered all of Fiore in those days."

"You could do that now if you put your mind to it." Jellal snorted, "Alright. No special skills unless absolutely necessary. And Lucy... be careful."

Lucy smiled a little as she hung up the phone and glanced at Natsu to find him eyeing her curiously, "What?"

"I dunno what a queen is." He half groaned, "But Sparklebutt is right... you could probably take over a much bigger territory." He eyed her curiously, "So how come you don't?"

Lucy shrugged, "What would I do with it?" She asked, "I didn't get into this business to amass power. I did it to get myself and my friends off the streets. The fact that I took over Magnolia in the process was almost a side effect. I'm happy with what I have here."

Natsu thought about that for a moment and nodded. He supposed that made sense. And certainly the people here seemed happy enough living under Lucy's rule. Oh, sure, he knew there were city officials, but he also knew Lucy had each and every one of them tied up neatly in a bow.

He said nothing else, not trusting his stomach, as they finished the drive and finally parked. It took an exercise of extreme willpower, but he managed to not ooze out onto the asphalt like some sort of demented puddle. And just as well. Because Precht had already arrived.

He couldn't undermine Lucy right off the bat by looking like he was about to die, no matter how poorly he felt. Natsu climbed out of the car first, managing to do it in steady legs before walking over to the drivers side and opening Lucy's door for her.

He held a hand out towards hers, helping her out of the car. His eyes remained in the move, sweeping around his surroundings for every nook and cranny, trying to find the best places any potential gangsters could be hiding.

Together they walked towards where Precht was waiting with a tall woman, whose face was both beautiful and strangely jarring to Natsu.

For a moment he couldn't help but openly stare at this woman, with her dark eyes, hair and painted red lips. It was almost as if he were looking at the Devil Slayer.

"Get your attack dog to stop eyeballing me," the woman snapped with a frosty air that was _distinctly_ similar in tone.

Natsu lip curled, his nose twitching as he tried to pick up her scent past the haze of thick perfume she wore. It choked his senses and he took a step away from her to try and clear his throat.

"Easy Natsu," Lucy chided him and curled her fingers together in front of her. Brown eyes regarded Precht with amusement, "now tell me. Why are we here? It seems as if you were more interested in my property lines than I anticipated. Zancrow was rather insistent on it."

"I heard about what he did! It was a true shame, I came here to speak on behalf of the company and apologize for his insidious behavior," Precht demurred.

Lucy was unmoved by his platitudes.

"Insidious was hardly what I would call it." She snapped sharply, "He broke into my house, in the middle of the night, with every intention of kidnapping me for you. Worse, when he found I was entertaining myself he threatened to take my partner's place." Her eyes narrowed, "I do not take kindly to such things."

"I can but apologize again." Precht replied, and spread his hands, "Zancrow acted without my knowledge or permission of course."

Lucy smiled thinly, "Then you won't mind that I have every intention of persecuting him to the fullest extent of the law. A process my sheriff has already begun." She said sweetly, "After all, if he was acting without your knowledge then you surely don't have to worry about anything else he might reveal?"

"Please Miss Heartfilia." Precht replied smoothly, "I understand you're upset about what happened, and I assure you he will be dealt with most harshly, but a legal battle would do no one any good and only serve to drag our names through the mud. Surely you must agree?"

Lucy arched an eyebrow, "I don't think I do no." She replied, "I have a very low tolerance for scum such as him, and will not risk him walking around unsupervised on my streets. Magnolia's at its lowest crime rate in twenty years, and I would not want to see that achievement sullied."

"And yet you run the dominant gang here." Precht replied, dropping all pretense, "I struggle to wonder how given all the untapped opportunity you have rotting away."

Lucy's smile broadened into one that was all teeth, "It's simple really. A fat, happy, prosperous town is _far_ more beneficial in the long run than a crime laden one. If the people feel safe on their streets then they're spending less time looking over their shoulders in fear and more time spending money on the things I've invested in. It's simple economics really."

She tilted her head slightly, her smile turning into a smirk, "A lesson I believe Grimorie Heart could stand to learn. Wouldn't you agree Hades?"

Natsu subtlety tensed when Lucy threw her own card on the table, looking as cool and unflappable as could be. However he could hear the quickening of her pulse, the steady beat of her heart and the tightening around her eyes.

"Besides, I'm not sure I like what I do being called a 'gang,'" she lifted her hand curl her fingers and check her cuticles with a critical eye. As if her manicure demanded more of her attention.

"That implies a certain air of illegality, and what I do cleans well in the books," she smirked at Hades, "although you can't say the same can you?"

"Perhaps ive committed crimes, even encouraging that fool Zancrow to take you hostage," Hades hissed and snapped his fingers, "That only means I am strong enough to take what I desire. And what I want is your town!"

At their leader's signal, several men slunk from the shadows and aimed their weapons at Lucy and Natsu. The latter of which advanced a single step, eyes darting to the many guns levels towards them. Already he was planning on various escape outlets to take Lucy through if they needed an escape.

Hades looked triumphant for a moment while his guard merely rolled her eyes and stayed on guard. That similarity of awareness was dangerous and she seemed so familiar in her mannerisms.

Their victory was short lived though, as Jellal broke through the foliage. He had his own men surrounding their perimeter, effectively hemming in Hades' men.

"Freeze!" Jellal commanded, his officers gathering with their weapons raised, ready and prepared to shoot.

"Like I said," Lucy smiled sweetly at Jellal, "What I Do is legal. But I do appreciate how you confessed to the role you played on convincing Zancrow to come and get me!"

"You little bitch!" Hades snarled and raised his hand in what was clearly a signal.

Natsu's eyes widened as he spotted the little lick of flame speeding towards them, "Duck!" He roared as he grabbed Lucy and flung her bodily out of the way and into Jellal's arms. And just barely in time as the crude bomb connected to the pavement and exploded with him in the middle.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried in alarm, jerking against Jellal's grip, only for a strange sucking sound could be heard over the roar of the flames. Acting like no fire she'd ever seen before, the flames pulled towards the center, as if being sucked into a vacuum, and her jaw unhinged as she saw Natsu smoldering as he devoured the flames whole.

"He... ate the fire?" One of the nearby cops gasped, snapping Lucy out of her shock as a low, ominous, growl erupted from Natsu's throat.

"What the hell are you?" Hades gasped in fear as Natsu turned his murderous gaze on him.

"Buddy, I'm your worst goddamned nightmare." Natsu growled darkly, his fangs flashing in the light.

"Kill him!" Hades shouted and at once his guard and surrounding gang leapt into action.

"Sir! What do we do?" A cop cried and Jellal's expression hardened.

"We help of course." He replied, glancing at Lucy, who nodded.

"But sir!" The cop replied, "You saw what he did!"

Jellal turned his gaze on the slightly panicked cop, "Does it matter what he can do?" He asked, "Natsu just risked his neck to save us and is currently fighting Grimoire Heart _by himself _while we look on! And I, for one, will not let that stand!"

Jellal noted as Natsu ducked and bent away from errant pipes and knives, that every strike against his assailants was a calculated one. He wasn't using his considerable strength or speed to do anything more than disable or avoid attacks.

Those sharp, almost reptilian eyes flashed to Lucy, who was being guarded behind an officers riot shield. His expression was flat and annoyed, as if wondering why he was going easy on people trying to kill him.

Upon looking at Lucy though, he came to his own answer and eventually ducked around the police guard with a swift turn of his heel, effectively putting a barrier between himself and the criminals. Specifically the police.

Jellal smirked as it gave him and his men ample opportunity to form a blockade to stop them from creeping on closer. Hades and his men stopped still, realizing how hemmed in they were now that their target was being guarded.

"Hades, you're coming with us," Jellal said with authority that wouldn't be questioned, "All of you are under arrest. Unless you would like to resist arrest?"

The question was asked almost daringly.

One of the policemen kept staring at Natsu, wide eyed and distracted.

Natsu snarled back at him, eyes narrowed at the man, "What? You ain't ever go to the circus before?"

"You... the circus?" The man stuttered in surprise.

Lucy smiled, secretly promising herself she would make this up to Natsu, "Why are you surprised?" She asked in amusement, "Natsu's not the first to have picked up unusual life skills." She grinned as she curled her hand around his arm, "I'd say it came in pretty handy tonight huh?"

The cop blinked, "But... he fights like one of those secret service guys!"

"That's hardly a crime." Jellal said in mild amusement as he rejoined them, his teams busily arresting the various gang members, "Some of the best bodyguards in the private sector are former government agents of one kind or another."

He clapped the man on the shoulder, "But that is hardly our business."

"Yes sir." The cop replied, "Of course sir." He bobbed a nod to Lucy and Natsu, "Sorry sir, ma'am, just..."

"It's quite alright." Lucy replied smoothly, "I understand perfectly. Honestly, he surprised me too." She shot Natsu a fond smile, "I knew about his history working with fire, but I'd never seen it in action."

She got a nod in return and at Jellal's nod hastily went to join the others in taking in Grimoire Heart.

"I'll have you know you've just given my station months of work." He told Lucy mildly.

"I'm sure you'll survive the paperwork apocalypse." She replied, "Now, unless you need us further, I'd like to head home and take a shower." She shivered, "Hades is the kind of slime I hate most."

"I'll need a statement, but I'll swing by your place later," Jellal nodded to Lucy, his hands working on handcuffing the beautiful woman who stood by Hades side.

Natsu lingered nearby, his brow furrowing as he watched the scowling woman. He stepped closer to her, his eyes widening as a familiar scent reached him.

Similar, but not exact.

Close enough for him to detect a relation that sent a shiver of shock through him. He opened his mouth, to say something to her, when Lucy raised an eyebrow at him.

"You coming?" She asked.

Deciding now wasn't the best time to follow after the train of thought this woman had sparked, Natsu nodded and followed after Lucy. This time however, he made no effort to hide how he stared atHades right hand woman.

Once they got into the car, Lucy glanced over at Natsu and the way he was buckling in without looking at her.

"You know that woman?" Lucy asked, showing off her natural shrewdness and her ability to quickly pick up on the small details. Natsu looked at her in surprise, not exactly having been subtle but impressed she had picked up so fast.

And to narrow it down specifically to that woman. Lucy really did have a scary way of following even the smallest of breadcrumbs. She could have taken over a world if she wanted to.

"No," Natsu frowned, grateful Lucy hadn't started her devil machine yet. She was too busy stretching her belt across her body.

"She smells like Devil Slayer," Natsu murmured, "I wonder if they're related."

"I wonder what his name was before they gave him a designation," Natsu murmured, frowning slightly, "It's strange still to hear you call me anything but 'Salamander."

"You'll eventually get used to it." Lucy consoled him, "And I promise we'll do everything we can to find out both Devil Slayer's and Black Steel's identities once we get them out. If she really is related to your friend, we'll find out about it."

Natsu smiled a little at her and nodded, "Thanks."

"Always." She replied warmly and started the car, a tiny snort of amusement escaping her as Natsu immediately groaned and turned into a puddle of misery, utterly destroying the serious moment.

She patted his leg sympathetically and began the drive back home. Maybe once they were there she'd order some delivery and slip into some of her fun underwear. It had been a while since she'd been inspired to use it, and she rather thought Natsu might enjoy it.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Levy moaned softly as she felt herself being filled and twitched happily in aftershock as Black Steel carefully pulled out of her and slumped to one side before curling a protective arm around her and pulling her close.

Far from being awkward or difficult, Black Steel had proved good on his word over the time since she'd hopped into bed with him. He'd been supremely gentle with her, especially at first, and had quickly proved himself the most talented lover she'd ever had. What sex training he'd gotten she didn't know, and wasn't sure she wanted to, but she wasn't above reaping the benefits now.

"Y'all right?" He mumbled into her hair and she smiled as she rolled around and kissed him.

"Wonderful." She breathed, and giggled a little when she felt him react to her again, "Have I mentioned how much I like your stamina?" She teased, "Truly a girl's best friend."

Black Steel, and even Devil Slayer, snorted in amusement, "Ain't like I can help it." He grinned at her, "You're too damn enticin'. Shame you ain't up for another round."

Levy wasn't sure about that, the spirit was more than willing all things considered, but she'd already learned to trust Black Steel's senses. If he said she probably wasn't up for another round, then she believed him.

"Maybe I'm not, but surely I can do something about that still?" She offered, but he gently took her hand and shook his head.

"Body's built like a tank." He rumbled, "It just don't know we've finished yet. You know that. It'll settle in a minute. 'M happy."

Levy smiled a little and nodded as she carefully extracted herself from his arms and set about cleaning up and getting dressed.

It was a little weird considering how thoroughly she'd been ignored before, but as soon as Black Steel had taken her to bed the first time all kinds of things had started popping up in his cell for her to use. It seemed the scientists were eager to ease the way to magic babies as much as possible. Even the food had improved. Which was, honestly, extremely creepy, but she still wasn't above taking advantage.

Even Black Steel looked a little disturbed by the sudden influx of items in his previously scarce cell. It further cemented the idea Levy had been entertaining. That she very well might have been the first person Black Steel _invited_ into his bed.

Levy smiled back at Gajeel as she moved back to their food, her eyes landing on their cell mate barred in his lonely looking and empty cell.

"Hey Devil Slayer," Levy whispered, her eyes sketching over to where the man was idly making tiny ice shapes between his palms. The man grunted back at her but didn't get up from his dingy cot.

Levy glanced back at the somewhat confused looking Black Steel, flashing him a crooked grin and then pushing a bar of chocolate through the thin slates separating their rooms.

An aphrodisiac from what she gathered, but chocolate was nice without its feel good properties. Besides it felt weird that they were trying to get her to have sex more often. She was doing fine on her own, thank you very much.

Devil Slayer looked up at where Levy was swiftly moving away from where their cells were separated, getting up from where he was sitting shirtless in a single spot. He got up and moved towards the wall, picking up the chocolate and smelling it for a moment.

"You're giving me this?" Devil Slayer asked in confusion, "why?"

Levy shrugged back at him, "because we have some and you deserve to have some too."

"Relax," she mentioned soothingly, "It's yours. You won't get in trouble either that's what friends are for!"

"Friends?" Devil Slayer repeated like it was foreign. However he was stopped from asking more on the subject when suddenly the door from Levy's side glowed a bright red.

Immediately Levy quickly backed away to sit next to Black Steel on the bed, winking over at Devil Slayer.

Devil Slayer, however, went on the alert as he hastily slid his bar of chocolate out of sight. Nor was he the only one.

Black Steel narrowed his eyes as Doctor Dragneel himself stepped inside, followed by several armed guards, and subtly curled himself protectively around Levy.

"Well Black Steel!" Zeref smiled happily, "I must say I'm quite surprised by this delightful turn of events."

"And what turn of events would that be?" Levy asked sharply, "The ones where your thugs kidnapped me and threw me in here? Or the ones where my choices were sleep with Black Steel or get experimented on by you freaks?"

"Ah! The mother to be!" Zeref beamed broadly, not looking in the least perturbed by her comments, "And possessing such a tart tongue. Perhaps it's little wonder why Black Steel is so taken with you." He smiled benignly as he folded his hands in front of him, "No my dear, I'm referring to the wonderful turn of events in you."

Levy's eyes narrowed a little, "And what events would those be?"

Zeref smiled, "The positive conception of a child!" He replied, "Truly, you should feel honored Levy McGarden. You will give birth to the first natural born magic user in centuries." He gestured to his guards and attendants, "We will, of course, be monitoring you quite closely every step of the way. It's a pity we must take you away from Black Steel now, his performance with you around has risen markedly, but we simply cannot risk anything happening to the fetus. You understand."

It was almost impossible to even consider, but Black Steel stiffened even more. His arm twitched against Levy, his eyes widening in shock.

"W-what?" Levy's hands flew protectively to her stomach, hands cradled against the belly that wasn't showing any sides of the life growing inside her.

She glared furiously at Doctor Dragneel, "I'm guessing my blood work turned out a positive marker today, well think again Doctor! I'm not letting you get your hands on our baby!"

The doctor laughed, as if looking genuinely amused by her anger. He turned to walk from the rooms, leaving his guards to deal with the angry incubator.

The guards filed into the room, Levy's eyes filled with terror. Her fingers interlaced over her belly protectively. Even though it wasn't planned, she never wanted any baby of hers to go through what she knew Black Steel and Devil Slayer was going through.

She was no stranger to wanting a child either, although she expected it in different circumstances. She also thought she would know the name of the man who had worked hard to make it possible.

As if stood now, Devil Slayer had returned to the bars, his eyes panicked as he shook them to no avail. The magic dampener at his wrist prevented any large magical exertion.

However magic or not, that didn't seem to occur to Black Steel as the first guard reached out and grabbed Levy harshly by the wrist. He paid no attention to her sharp cry of protest, or the tears in her eyes.

"No!" Black Steel growled back, his red eyes dilating as he seemed to realize his role in regards to the lives of a child. His pupils narrowed sharply into the slits of a venomous snake. "You get your hands off her!"

"Back off Black Steel." Another guard growled, brandishing a prod, "You've done your job. The breeder is of no more consequence to you."

Black Steel, however, wasn't listening as he grabbed the rod and snapped it in half, "I said let go of her!" He roared.

"Lock him down!" The original guard shouted, but in his moment of distraction Levy proved that she had been paying attention to Erza's lessons as she slammed her knee into the man's groin with all the strength she could muster.

Caught off guard by the unexpected resistance, the guard dropped like a stone, releasing Levy in the process.

In an instant two more rushed for her, but before they could reach her Black Steel rushed between them with murder in his eyes.

"You ain't touchin' her." He snarled, steel scales erupting all over his skin despite the inhibiting bracelet he wore. Behind him, Levy watched with wide eyes as his aura became visible to the naked eye and the little device gave a pathetic pop and fizzle before shorting out altogether.

Almost immediately there was a change in both the size and color of his aura as he smirked darkly. The guards seemed to realize they were in serious trouble as they began a hasty retreat, but it was too late. Black Steel lashed out, his arm turning into a heavy metal rod that had Levy wincing a bit in vague sympathy as it impacted.

"Tranq him!" A guard shouted, "And the bitch!"

The shout jolted Levy out of her shock and she dove for the guard she'd already downed, snatching up both his weapon and his access card.

"Levy!" Devil Slayer shouted, "Over here! Quick!"

Levy took a couple of steps towards Devil Slayer's gate, her eyes flashing towards the still smoking inhibitor ring around Black Steels wrist. She made it to the gate, swiping the key card to open the gate into the other prisoners room.

The man she had felled took the opportunity to grab her from behind, however the freed Devil Slayer wasted no time in barreling forward to slam his shoulder into the man's midsection.

Levy landed on her feet when Devil Slayer hit the ground, using the heel of her foot to slam right into their attackers nose. He went down with a spurt of blood around a broken nose and Levy quickly bent to free Devil Slayer from his bracelet.

She didn't know where Black Steel's sudden surge of energy was coming from, but he was fighting through the electric buzz of several tasers, batons bouncing harmlessly over a metallic skin, and needles filled with tranquilizer bending away from his skin.

She knew whatever magic this was which allowed him to do all this, there was a chance he wouldn't be able to keep it up. So she quickly wedged open the latch on Devil Slayers bracelet with the access code from the key card and set about reworking the wiring.

She disabled the mechanism which shocked intruders and the test subject first, before wrapping her fingers around the wiring and ripping the whole thing out.

The bracelet clicked off Devil Slayer, who watched the process with wide, awed eyes.

He snapped to his feet in a flash, his hands slamming against the floor and causing a sheen of ice to burst out from his palms to coat the room.

Black Steel didn't even budge, but it said nothing of the men they fought who slid and fell around themselves. Levy was almost awed when Black Steel moved, spikes from his heels receding when he moved.

The way he and Devil Slayer worked together must have been seamless.

She wondered how their team might have been if their previous member, the one they called "Salamander" hadn't 'died.'

"We aren't going to get a better chance than this!" Devil Slayer shouted and grabbed Levy's wrist, pulling her towards Black Steel.

"How did you do that anyway?" Devil Slayer hissed at him when they made their way out of their cell. Black Steel just shook his head, leading the charge so his metal body could deflect any discharged bullets or attacks. He kept Levy behind him while Devil Slayer brought up the rear to watch their backs.

"I don't know," he growled back, his magic lashing out in powerful waves but noticeably beginning to ebb. It was clear they had to hurry, and even Levy could see Black Steel's protective layering was beginning to disappear.

Black Steel seemed to sense his time limit, and they ruthlessly plowed through everyone who got in their way. Levy worked on panels and doors, swiping them open wherever she was able.

By the time they burst out into the courtyard though, Black Steel was almost back to normal, his magic largely diminished in such a way it looked like he could barely stand.

That fear was solidified when an errant bullet burst the glass of the door from the building and caught Black Steel square in the shoulder. Levy made a horrified sound as he staggered, but made no sound beyond a grunt.

Levy's eyes flashed around them, looking for an exit despite the crowds of guards beginning to swarm around them. Her eyes landed on a transport no more than thirty yards away.

It might as well have been a hundred.

"Devil Slayer, can you freeze the door so they can't get through it?" Levy asked, her hand reaching up to Black Steels uninjured shoulder and pushing him towards the transport.

Not asking questions, Devil Slayer whipped around, his hands casting a frozen shield over the door to keep the men inside the building sealed in. He caught onto what Levy was pointing at, and at Black Steels pale face, so did he.

"Get me to that car! I'm going to hotwire us a ride!"

From inside the building among all the chaos, Zeref watched the mad rush in the courtyard and the small woman earn her place by stealing one of his best transports. She was a clever little thing, although he wondered how she could reach the pedals.

She proved to be tall enough as she gassed the truck straight through the chain link fence, screaming down the dirt road and into the distance. Zeref smiled on amusement, quite amused by the entire display even despite the perceived setbacks.

His assistant Invel, however looked far less amused by the entire ordeal.

"Sir, the cargo is getting away," The man frowned, "First Salamander, then Black Steel and Devil Slayer? What if they find each other?"

"They could come back and destroy us all!" Invel stressed, "it's time for us to pack up this facility and leave."

"And become separated from my dear brother forever? I think not," Zeref hummed, thinking about the change to his plans, "perhaps it is better to give them a small taste of what freedom is like. Perhaps long enough for her to have a healthy and happy pregnancy."

"In fact I hope they do find my brother, it'll do me a huge favor in trying to locate him. He cut out his tracker the moment he stepped outside these walls and if those others have even a shred of sense then they will also."

"But Levy couldn't go under the knife in her condition. The healing necessary wouldn't make it conducive to her other activities with Black Steel," Zeref chuckled.

"She is being tracked differently than the others?" Invel realized.

"When she was having her blood drawn and being given prenatal supplements, we were also protecting our investment should she be too slippery to hold on to," Zeref smirked, not at all worried, "Poor Levy, she won't even realize she and her child will be our beacons."

-::-

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Devil Slayer asked as black Steel groaned pitifully from where he was curled up in a small puddle of own blood and vomit.

"Yes." Levy replied tensely as she kept an eye out for any more pursuit, "I'm just taking the round about way back. I don't want them tracing us back home."

Devil Slayer's lips twitched upward, "Your strategy is fine." He replied, "I'm just more worried about Black Steel."

"I am too." Levy huffed lightly, casting a concerned glance in her rear view mirror at her lover. Between the gunshot, his severe motion sickness, and their wild escape he'd taken a beating. It hadn't helped that the moment they were relatively free of pursuit Devil Slayer had ruthlessly cut out a pair of trackers from them both. Though she was grateful he'd packed the wounds with ice at least.

"We're almost there though." She smiled as she landed, at last, on roads she was intimately familiar with, "Next stop, Lucy's."

She was desperately eager to see her friend again. It felt like it had been an eternity since she'd been taken, and there was an increasingly large part of her that wanted to have the complete meltdown she'd been staving off since her capture. She swallowed the urge back and focused. She had to get to her friend's house first. That was the goal. Once she made it there Lucy could help her with everything else.

Fortunately for her peace of mind, it didn't take long before she was pulling into Lucy's long driveway, and she choked on a sob of relief when she saw her friend's car parked in the open garage. Lucy was home.

She hastily parked, and practically tore off the seatbelt with shaking hands as she flung herself out of the car, "Lucy!" She cried, "Lucy get out here! It's Levy!"

She couldn't quite contain the tears as she fumbled with Black Steel's door and flung it open, "Please Lucy!"

The door to the garage burst open and Levy _did _cry at the sight of that blond head rushing towards her, followed by some pink haired guy she'd never seen before.

"Levy!" Lucy cried in mingled shock and relief as she rushed to her side, "Dear gods you're back!"

"Holy shit," the man swore and rushed past Levy to Black Steel. Lucy hugged her friend tight and pressed her hands into the blue hair.

"Are you okay?" Lucy pulled away to give Levy a thorough inspection, "you're not hurt are you?"

"No," Levy gasped and turned towards where Black Steel was being pulled out of the truck by the man Lucy had. He looked like he was having a stare down with Devil Slayer.

"But Black Steel, he's hurt and—"

"You morons couldn't just wait to get saved huh, you had to turn Black Steel into a meat grinder?" The strange man growled at Devil Slayer, although there was a tinge of happiness in his eyes he couldn't mask.

"Well it's not like we knew you were coming bastard!" Devil Slayer responded, his voice sounding strangely thick, "Thanks for letting us know you were alive Salamander!"

"It's not like I could send you a goddamn carrier pigeon saying 'Hey, went through a window. Be back later.'" The man growled back, getting up Black Steel with considerable strength.

"Boys!" Lucy snapped her fingers, getting their attention in that special way she had, "quit braiding each others hair and get him inside!"

She pulled Levy to her side and quickly steered her inside, "I'll get Jellal on the phone."

"Lucy..." Levy trembled as the adrenaline left her system, "What's going on?"

Lucy smiled and squeezed her friend's shoulder reassuringly, "A lot of things it seems. I promise I'll explain everything as soon as we get a chance." She looked up as Natsu and Devil Slayer carried their friend in, "Natsu, do you remember where the first aid kit is?"

"Natsu?" Devil Slayer asked as Natsu nodded, "What the hell's a Natsu?"

"My name dumbass." Natsu retorted and met his friend's eyes, "I got a real name. Not just a designation. Lucy figures we all do."

Devil Slayer's eyes widened as he looked at Lucy in disbelief, "We have names?"

Lucy nodded, "Yes, but now's not the time to contemplate that. Natsu, you said Devil Slayer was the best at first aid? Then help him get the first aid kit so you can patch up your friend. I'll get Jellal over here in the meantime and let Erza know to spread the word about this development, and to cancel my appointments."

Natsu nodded and dragged Devil Slayer out of the room, muttering quietly to him as he did, while Lucy grabbed her phone and speed dialed Jellal.

_"Sheriff Fernandez."_ Jellal replied on the third ring, and Lucy winced a bit at how out of breath he sounded.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you and Erza on your day off." She said, "But listen we've got an emergency. Levy just showed up at the house with Black Steel and Devil Slayer."

_"She what?!"_ Jellal exclaimed, suddenly sounding much more in tune with the conversation, _"What happened?"_

"Hell if I know." Lucy replied, "I called you first. I need you over here as soon as possible. I've got three freshly escaped people, one of whom is bleeding all over the place. And I need Erza to spread the word and keep everyone away until I give the clear. If these guys are anything like Natsu the last thing I want is to spook them with a crowd of strangers."

"_Got it."_ Jellal's voice hesitated on the other end. There was a long stretch of silence where Lucy could practically hear the gears in his head turning.

"I'll be fine. Just get over here as soon as you can. You won't be welcome for long, so don't make any waves, but you're probably the best we've got to stitch Black Steel up," Lucy sighed.

Jellal made a displeased noise but seemed to sigh in acceptance, "_Alright Lucy, but just keep in mind that you're outnumbered right now."_

"I know that, but I've got Natsu. I'll be okay," Lucy soothed her friend, keeping her voice low so those with heightened senses wouldn't eavesdrop on their conversation.

"_Do you really have him though?" _Jellals voice punctured Lucy's thoughts, causing her to still, "_He's been great for months, but now that he has his friends, his reason for staying is gone."_

The sudden chill that brought Lucy couldn't be faked, and she was suddenly faced with the possibility that after getting to know Natsu for over a month, he could disappear from her life as though he were never there.

Her heart ached at the thought, strangely stinging in a way that made it feel like a hand was closing over her windpipe.

"See you soon," Lucy finished the conversation abruptly, hanging up without saying another word.

She had people coming and going from her life all the time. It was the nature of what she did.

Strangely this though...

This felt different.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Natsu perked up from where he had settled Gajeel into one of Lucy's spare bedrooms, frowning as he listened to the crunch of tires rolling along the driveway.

They were expecting Jellal, but his car sounded much different. This one didn't hum quite like Lucy's, but it had a distinctly better quality than the thing Jellal liked to ride around in.

"We have company," Natsu growled and stood up. Devil Slayer immediately sprang to his feet, having been apprised of the situation by Natsu and while not understanding everything in its entirety, was willing to give Salamander the benefit of the doubt.

Natsu motioned for him to hang back while he stalked back to the front door, Levy and Lucy both tucked away safely.

Natsu edged towards the window, peering over the side to see who was coming up the driveway and almost sighed in relief as he spotted a blue head bouncing up the steps with her usual quick strides.

He opened the door for her before she could ring the doorbell, not wanting to have her wake up Black Steel.

"Juvia," He greeted when she gave him a startled look, "what're you doing here?"

"Jellal called me and told me to come over," she raised her medical bag, not even questioning his short greeting. The man was opening up to their little guild more and more, but when something serious happened he always seemed to close back in on himself to everyone. With the exception of Lucy.

And strangely Jellal.

"He's on his way, but he had to swing by his office first to pick up some of your paperwork. Something in there he wants you to see, so he gave me a call to get things started," Juvia pushed past Natsu, "You forgot I work in the trauma ward, I'm used to seeing quite a lot of injuries. Where's your patient?"

Lucy jolted to her feet when she spotted the blue haired woman who was striding with purpose, "Juvia wait!"

But Juvia didn't hear Lucy, having had her attention drawn to the back room where she could pick up the strong scent of antiseptic and hydrogen peroxide.

And directly into where a tense and angry looking Devil Slayer was standing.

"Oh, hello!" Juvia stared at him, somewhat surprised to have him blocking her path and merely moved to side step him when she caught sight of who was positioned behind him.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Devil Slayer growled darkly, the ambient temperature plummeting.

"It's alright!" Natsu and Lucy said at the same time. They glanced at each other and Lucy nodded to Natsu.

"She's a nurse." Natsu explained, "She ain't agency." He shot Juvia at mild glare, "And she doesn't listen real well sometimes."

Juvia flushed at that and moved to say something when Lucy laid a hand on her arm, "Juvia... now's not the time. Not if you want to convince Devil Slayer here that you're not going to hurt his friend."

Juvia blinked a little and took another look at the man before her, seemingly only just noticing the terrifying scowl on his face, "Oh dear." She breathed and smiled at him, "Please, I promise I'm only here to help. Jellal told me that Levy had escaped from that terrible place with two people. One of whom was badly hurt."

She curled a hand over her thigh, "I'm a member of Fairy Tail. I won't do anything to hurt anyone in this room. You have my word."

Devil Slayer eyed her distrustfully and glanced at Natsu, who nodded slightly. He scowled again, but reluctantly stepped aside.

"You do anything to him I don't like..."

Juvia nodded and hurried to Black Steel's side, where an anxious Levy was dabbing his forehead with a cool cloth, "What happened?"

"He used a lot of energy while we were escaping, and took some hits." Levy reported, quickly listing the injuries she knew about, "And it turns out he's got extreme motion sickness."

Juvia nodded as she rummaged through her bag, "Alright. Let's get these wounds cleaned up and some fluids in him..."

Lucy breathed out a small sigh of relief as Juvia got to work, "It'll be alright now." She murmured and looked at Devil Slayer, "I'm sorry she showed up unexpectedly. I know you don't trust us at all, but please believe me when I say I want to help."

Devil Slayer regarded her for a moment, "Levy was always talking about you." He said at length, "She never mentioned your name. She didn't want the agency to overhear it. But she told us stories about how far you'd go for your friends." He cocked his head slightly, "Salamander backed them up. You keep this up and I might start to believe them both."

Lucy smiled back at him, not at all offended by his lack of trust, and nodded, "I'll do my best to prove it to you." She tugged lightly at Natsu's sleeve, "Can we talk in private for a minute?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow and nodded, but neither had time to move as Juvia let out an uncharacteristic swear, "Lucy!" She looked up, "This man still has a bullet embedded in his shoulder! Why haven't you taken him to a hospital already?"

Lucy blinked in surprise and sighed, "I didn't know. It's been rather hectic here."

Juvia sighed and shook her head, "He needs to go. Now."

"Absolutely not!" Devil Slayer growled before Natsu could say anything, "The last thing he needs is doctors and hospitals!"

Juvia lifted her eyes to meet Devil Slayers fearlessly, her expression set and chin lifting. Still her voice remained gentle as it often did when she dealt with hysterical and sometimes angry members of patients' families. She was never one to be cowed away, even by someone like Devil Slayer who could probably turn her into a block of ice.

"I understand it's not ideal for him, or you for that matter," she said with gentle firmness, "but the bullet could have lacerated a major artery. It could be the only thing saving his life right now, and if I remove it here there's a good chance he will require surgery if it hit."

"If he doesn't have the proper testing done beforehand, then if I remove the bullet he could die," Juvia warned Devil Slayer.

Levy swallowed and looked up at the man who paled at Juvia's calm explanation, "Couldn't we leave the bullet there?"

Juvia shook her head, "no. I get that he's been experimented on and has a huge capacity for healing, repair and other things science can't explain, but he is still human."

"And infection and poisoning can still set in. Especially if that bullet shifts," Juvia sighed and glanced at Lucy, "I can't tell you what to do Boss."

Lucy met Devil Slayer's eyes, crossing her arms. She mentally filed away what she wanted to speak with her bodyguard for later, "It's not up to me. You and Natsu have spent the most time with him and we need to make a decision."

She stepped towards Devil Slayer, "if Black Steel wakes up in the middle of a procedure, will he be a danger to himself and others?"

Devil Slayer nodded, glancing at Natsu who also nodded.

"It has to be done here," Natsu murmured, "Slayer and I can hold him down if we need to, but I know ol' rustbucket would rather die than go under the knife again. For any reason."

The unspoken 'the same for all of us' went through the air.

Juvia sighed and nodded, the gloves she had snapped on squeaking a bit when she flexed her fingers.

"Alright then, I'll require you to hold him down so he doesn't rip my head off," Juvia nodded to Levy, "will you bring me my bag? I've set out a sterilized tray, I'll need you to upend my bag without touching any of the tools please."

Levy nodded and at once set about the task, Juvia nodding to Natsu and Devil Slayer as the latter joined Juvia at her side.

She flashed Devil Slayer a smile that didn't quite touch her eyes, "I'm afraid I'm going to do something you don't like."

Before he could respond, she swiped a foul smelling liquid that made his head swim with memories of the surgery room at the agency around the wound on Black Steel's shoulder.

Without waiting for a signal, Juvia used a thin pair of forceps to push into the man's thick shoulder and pry out the bullet lodged inside. She did it slowly, fresh blood welling up around and down the wound.

Juvia sighed in relief, even though Black Steel hadn't so much as jerked in the process.

"He's not out of the woods, but it seems he has the devil's luck. We would have known if it struck an artery by now," Juvia murmured, getting to work stitching up the wound.

She cleaned the area once more once she was done and dropped a bandage over it. Juvia sighed and leaned back in her chair, giving them all a rather sour look, "I hope you weren't intending on pulling that bullet out yourselves. I would have been very upset at you if you came into my doorstep with a bleeding to death patient."

"We would know better than to do such a thing without you." Lucy replied, relief coursing through her at their extreme luck, "Thank you Juvia. You're truly a miracle worker, and we don't say that enough."

Juvia's pinched expression relaxed a little at the praise and a small smile curled her lips, "Less miracle and more very lucky." She replied, "But I'll take credit for it."

Lucy laughed lightly, "Well you know me, Lucky Lucy Heartfilia." She teased, even more relieved that Juvia was willing to banter. Though her friend was normally one of the sweetest people around, she did have a temper, and getting her to calm down if she was truly angry was... an interesting challenge. Especially considering her more dangerous skills with needles.

Juvia snorted a little, but her smile turned more genuine as she leaned forward again and double checked Black Steel for any more injuries, "Well, he's going to feel like he's been hit by a truck when he wakes up." She pronounced as she finished applying a couple more small bandages, "And there's not much I can do about that."

"Is the gunshot wound the worst of it?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. Though his arm looks like it's been put through a blender. That will probably leave scars." Juvia pulled out a small packet of pills and handed them over to Devil Slayer, "From what I understand from Natsu, he's likely to have a very high tolerance for most medicine. That's the strongest stuff I'm permitted to give out without a doctor's approval. I'm not sure how well it'll work for him, but it should at least take the edge off."

Devil Slayer nodded as he glanced over the packet, "I'll make sure he gets them."

Juvia nodded again, "No more than one every six to eight hours. And don't forget you won't get more unless he goes to an actual doctor." She looked at Lucy, "Porlyusica should be back in town in a few days, and she might complain about it, but she'll make a home visit."

Lucy nodded, but Juvia had already moved on as she began running her eyes over Devil Slayer, "Now, let's do something about _your_ injuries shall we?" She smiled sweetly, "After all, I'd hate to have gone through all that trouble with your friend only for you to collapse from that wound you've packed."

"What? No I'm fine," Devil Slayer protested but was prevented from saying anything else when the nurse pointed to a chair and smiled at him.

"Sit, _please_," Juvia said sweetly, not brokering room for argument. Devil Slayer glanced at Natsu, who sighed and nodded.

"Gotta go through a physical to make sure your fingers and toes are all where they should be," Natsu grinned and slapped his palm against the door, "we'll be outside."

"Salamander," Devil Slayer protested, sounding angry, but there was no denying the somewhat frantic edge to his voice or the anxiousness.

Natsu met his eyes with a reassuring flash, "Nothing will happen you don't want it to. Juvia did mine, and she'll take good care of you. I promise."

Knowing Natsu's word meant a lot, Devil Slayer reluctantly nodded and settled down into the seat Juvia had for him.

Juvia snapped off her gloves and disappeared into the bathroom to wash her hands and dry them. She gave the anxious Devil Slayer a reassuring look, noting he didn't look so scary when he was the one in the chair.

She remembered how Natsu had been the same way, glaring from his seat but unable to quite shake the fight or flight response that had been ingrained in him. Or the fear of punishment that came from resisting once he was in a medical chair. She only hoped that like Natsu, he handled being in a home environment better.

She knelt down in front of Devil Slayer, making herself lower than him and gestures with her hands to his side.

"May I?" She asked, her voice gentle and a smile never pulling from her face. She, like Lucy, had seen children and people from all walks of life. Some came from very similar backgrounds of abuse, so she made her movements clear and as non-threatening as possible.

Devil Slayer's sharp eyes tracked over her, and Juvia kept still and waited for him to give her permission to touch him.

He seemed a little surprised that she hadn't just dove right in considering how she acted with Black Steel and how doctors and medical staff no doubt usually treated him.

Although there was a difference between an unconscious patient who was suffering from a gunshot wound as opposed to a perfectly conscious man with what seemed to be a non-life threatening injury.

Slowly he nodded, giving a jerk to his head that Juvia took as permission.

"Thank you!" Juvia gently pressed her fingertips around the wound on his side, "if you could release your ice for me so I could look at your injury?"

-::-

On the other side of the door Lucy jerked her head towards the stairs, hoping she could get this conversation in before Jellal showed up. His words had cut more deeply than she'd expected and the need to at least know where she stood with Natsu was overwhelming.

Their relationship had been very good so far. He treated her like a goddess in bed, and it had been a delight introducing him to freedom and the real world, seeing him slowly open up despite the occasional mishap. And faced with the prospect he wouldn't want to stick around now that he had his family, she was reluctant to let go.

"You're being weird again." He said softly as they slipped into their room. She couldn't really call it hers anymore since the only time he'd been in his was while hers was being repaired from Zancrow's attack.

"I'm not weird." She huffed, though there was an undertone of laughter, "I'm just thinking."

"And that's why you're weird." Natsu grinned as he sat down on the bed, "So what're you thinking about so much? You've had that look on your face since you talked to Sparklebutt."

Lucy let out an involuntary snort of laughter at Jellal's nickname and curled her arms around herself, "I just..." She sighed, "I'm wondering what you're thinking you might do from here?"

Natsu frowned a little and cocked his head slightly, "Whaddya mean?" He asked, "It's not going to be a problem to have Black Steel and Devil Slayer around is it?"

Lucy quickly shook her head, "No! It's not that." She hesitated, "It's just... you could leave now." She said quietly, her heart breaking at the very thought, "All three of you are free. And I promised I wouldn't stop you from leaving if that's what you want."

Natsu studied her quietly for several moments, "Do you want us to stay?" He asked softly and reached over to caress her sides gently, "Do you want _me_ to stay?"

It was moments like these Lucy was reminded that for all his ignorance of the outside world, Natsu was a highly trained soldier. Capable of reading people and situations with an accuracy that bordered on the uncanny.

"Yes." She breathed, unable to even pretend to lie in this situation, "More than anything." She looked up into his eyes, "I... I don't want to give up what we have. I like having you here. As my bodyguard. As my friend. And as my lover."

She rubbed a hand over her heart, "I know it hasn't been long, but I feel like this, we could be more than we are. And I want to explore that. I'm hoping that one day Fairy Tail will be as much your family as Devil Slayer and Black Steel. But... if you three want to make a break for it while you can... I understand that too."

Natsu gave her a lazy smile and he gently tugged her closer. His forehead dipped against hers, a warmth crackling in the depths of his eyes. It reminded her of a hearth, like sitting in front of a fireplace and being home.

His hand rested over the crown of her head, like it often did when he was giving her some words of comfort or calling her weird.

"Then I'll stay," he said simply, keeping his voice low and hold firm on her even though she made to pull away.

"I don't want you to stay just for me, I couldn't hold you back from going out into the world and really seeing it!" Lucy set her hand on his chest, her eyes tight and lips pressing together, "I won't selfishly make you stay."

Natsu snorted outright at that and rolled his eyes, "What was it you said before? 'You can stay and fight for a place you can call home with friends, or run and live alone'"

"I've seen plenty of the world. All of the worst parts that shaped a terrible landscape. Why would I want to run away from the one part that has made me happy?" He asked her softly, "this is my home now. I want to keep it."

"What about Devil Slayer and Black Steel?" Lucy asked, wanting to make sure he was certain before she got her hopes up. His words resonated with her heart, and while she wasn't the type of person to put stock in words, she knew his carried weight.

"We are a family and a unit. That won't change because we're separate," Natsu grinned.

Lucy grinned back, her heart soaring as she pulled him into a kiss that was both soft and hungry, "Thank you."

She pulled back a bit to look at him again, "And you know we'll help Black Steel and Devil Slayer as much as we can. They're important to you, so they're important to us. Besides, we still owe that Agency some payback for Levy."

Natsu growled softly at the fierce look in her eyes and he kissed her again, "And you wonder why I like it here."

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment the crunch of Jellal's tires sounded on the driveway outside. She pulled away enough to look out the window and sighed, "Alright, time for part two. We probably shouldn't leave Devil Slayer alone much longer anyway. He might panic."

Natsu snorted, but didn't argue as she moved towards the door. Though he did reach out and pull her back to his chest, his hips grinding gently into her from behind, "As soon as we get a chance, I'm gonna show you just how happy I am here." He purred into her ear, "In so much detail you won't ever doubt it again."

Lucy shivered at the promise and grinned over her shoulder at him, "I look forward to it."

He grinned back and let her go so she could go greet Jellal, prowling lazily down the stairs behind her. He suspected Jellal had been the source of Lucy's sudden worry, but all things considered he was pleased with the results so he'd leave it alone. For now anyway.

"I'm sorry it took so long." Jellal was saying as Lucy let him in, "I got a notification about something and had to verify it before it came back." He glanced around, pausing to give Natsu a small nod, "How's everything here?"

"So far so good." Lucy replied, "Black Steel got a gunshot wound to the shoulder, and Juvia had to remove the bullet. She wasn't happy about that, but it went smoothly. She's giving Devil Slayer a physical now."

"I bet she wasn't happy about that," Jellal acknowledged and Natsu snorted at that particular understatement.

Jellal held up the file tucked under his arm, "I have Erza keeping everyone away. I apologize, I should have realized how insistent Juvia would have been to see the patients."

"It's fine, it all worked out," Lucy reached for the file that Jellal was handing out, "What's this that kept you?"

"Natsu's file, and a file from fingerprinting the members of Grimoire Heart," Jellal explained, "I think you'll find there is some circumstantial information that would be important to our new strays."

"Really?" Lucy asked, flipping them open.

"I can't risk running their fingerprints through the system, not without first having Levy scrub through any traces they could be picked up on," Jellal sighed, "but there are some hints to their identities matching their descriptions."

"I'm not sure Levy is up to it yet," Lucy cringed, but knowing Jellal was right. They couldn't very well just go ahead and run their prints like they did with Natsu.

"What does my file have anything to do with them?" Natsu asked, frowning when he glanced over her shoulder.

"When I looked to see if you had any existing family left you might want to get in contact with, it pulled up an interesting trend," Jellal explained, almost snorting at Natsu's surprised expression when he realized he could have existing family.

"Don't look so shocked, it wasn't unheard of for the agency to wipe out entire families, but I had to be certain you had the option of being with your biological family if you wanted it. You were taken after all," Jellal said gently.

Natsu fell silent, not sure how to feel about that, but feeling some strange warmth of gratitude for the effort in his chest.

"It looks like your mother passed away in childbirth, but your father had a brother. Your godfather and uncle was a man named Metallicana who died from mysterious circumstances after he took custody of you and your brother Zeref," Lucy read to Natsu, "He had a son named Gajeel Redfox, who disappeared the same year you did. Your cousin."

She frowned and looked at the picture Jellal had picked from the records, swearing quietly.

"It's Black Steel," She breathed.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

Lucy sucked in a breath at the information and looked at Natsu, but he just shook his head, "This doesn't change anything." He said firmly, "We already knew my brother was a bastard. Finding out Rustbucket's my cousin just means we got one more reason to turn Zeref inside out."

He looked at Jellal, "Thanks for finding out though. Means a lot to us."

Jellal nodded, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, "I understand." He replied softly, and glanced at Lucy, "I suspect there's more, but I won't know for sure until we can run prints and start doing some serious background checks."

"You're really going to try and find out more?" Devil Slayer's voice sounded from the doorway to the living room where Juvia had been examining him. He had a fresh bandage on the spot he'd dug out his tracker, a few more minor bandages elsewhere, and a suspicious scowl on his face.

"Why?" He demanded, his gaze locking on Lucy, "Why are you going to so much trouble for us? We're nothing to you except trouble!"

Lucy lifted her chin and met him squarely in the eye, "Because Natsu matters to us, and you matter to Natsu." She stepped forward, not at all intimidated by his scowl, "When I first met Natsu I didn't know him from any other person on the street, but he impressed me when he didn't die after I cracked him on the head with a baseball bat after he broke into my house."

She shrugged, "So I gave him a chance. And since then he's saved my life on more than one occasion." She stared at Gray firmly, "And now the only family he's ever known have broken out of the place that has done it's best to fuck you all over? The same place that took my best friend and held her captive? And you seriously want to know why I'd help?"

She waved the folder at him, "More than that, the people that did this are still out there! They could come back for Levy, or me, or anyone in Magnolia at any time. And I will not let that stand! I will do everything in my power to rip this agency apart at the seams, and it starts right here. With you learning that you're not some designation. You, Devil Slayer, are a person. And when you get your revenge, because I know you will, I want you to be able to cram every scrap of your humanity down their throats before you kill them."

Devil Slayer frowned at that, his expression neutral at best when he listened to Lucy. He said nothing to her words, but there seemed to be some indecision on his face as if he almost believed her. He glanced at Natsu before turning and walking back inside the room where Juvia was just coming out.

He gave her a curt nod as if to thank her for her care and went inside the room with Black Steel and Levy, shutting the door behind him.

"Chatty one isn't he?" Lucy asked, not at all offended by the cold response. Natsu had been outright hostile when he first walked through the door, so Devil Slayer almost seemed warm in comparison.

"He's an idiot," Natsu said as way of explanation, "but he'll come around when he realizes he's free to go."

"Depending on how quickly he heals up of course," Juvia interjected.

Natsu rolled his eyes at her insistence but seemed to understand he wouldn't win against Juvia's argument.

Jellal cleared his throat and lifted his hand, "Not to interrupt what we're doing here, but we really need to get Levy debriefed and I'll require statements from everyone."

Lucy sighed and shook her head, flashing Jellal an apologetic smile, "paperwork on your day off? My apologies sheriff."

Jellal rolled his eyes and snorted on a laugh, "no problem boss lady, I'll wrap up here quick."

—::—

The world spun violently on its access when Black Steel opened his eyes to a warm room. He could feel Levy's hand against his chest, her palm settled over his heart to feel it beat. A smile drifted over his face when he pushed away the spinning room.

"Lev," he cleared his aching throat, causing her to spring to attentiveness besides him. A smile burst over her face, a wide smile glowing over her cheeks.

"You're awake!" She breathed and reached out to cradle his hand, "careful, We had to bandage your shoulder and fish out a bullet, keep pressure off that side."

She gave him a wry look, "although it looks like you're healing annoyingly fast. Not that I'm complaining."

She pressed a light kiss to his temple, "Dummy. Why'd you have to go all macho and rush out to save us?"

"Wasn't gonna..." He coughed a little on his try throat and smiled gratefully as she sprang into motion to pour him a glass of water, "Thanks." He breathed after he'd downed it, "Anyway, couldn't let 'em take ya." He reached out to gently brush his fingers against her belly, "Your holdin' a baby I helped ya make. All I ever did before you was kill. And they wanted to make what I helped create into somethin' like me?"

He shook his head, "Couldn't let it happen. Just the thought made me madder'n I've ever been."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Black Steel jerked a little in surprise before groaning as his shoulder sent fire up and down his arm and side. The blond in the door held up her hands peaceably.

"Sorry." She apologized, actually sounding apologetic, "I thought you would've heard me coming. I guess you're still a little out of it." She smiled at him, "I'm Levy's friend Lucy."

Black Steel's eyes widened as he belatedly realized he wasn't in his cell, or anything that even vaguely resembled his cell, "We... made it out?"

Levy grinned impishly, "Yeah. I hotwired a car with Devil Slayer's help and we broke out. You might not remember. You'd just gotten shot at that point." She waved a hand, "Anyway, we had to shake off some pursuit, but eventually we wound up back here in Magnolia. We've been staying with Lucy for the last few days while you heal up."

"For reference," Lucy spoke up, "Devil Slayer and Natsu, ehm, Salamander are out back sparring." She smiled, "I live just outside of Magnolia, and own a decent sized tract of land out here, so there's plenty of room and it's safe enough."

She dropped a hand on Levy's shoulder, "I'm going to go let the boys know he's awake." She looked at Natsu's cousin, "I'm sure you've got about a million questions, and I promise we'll answer each and every one of them as best we can."

Black Steel nodded dumbly, not entirely sure how to react to any of what she just said. She flashed him one last smile as she left, and this time he heard her treading lightly down the stairs.

"Salamander's alive?" He managed after a moment of shock.

Levy giggled and nodded, "Yeah, you missed a lot."

She quickly launched into an explanation of everything that had happened during and immediately after their escape, including as many details as she knew about Natsu and Jellal.

"Unbelievable." He breathed in amazement when the story was over, aware he'd need some time to properly process her revelations, "So what happens now?"

Levy shrugged, "We're still trying to figure that out. Lucy's been keeping everyone away from the house while you healed up. She was worried you'd wake up and freak over the strangers.

Juvia's been coming by daily though to check on us, and Porlyusica came by yesterday. She's Fairy Tail's go to doctor."

She smiled a little at Black Steel's scowl at the mention of doctors, "She's nothing like what the agency was like. She prefers natural medicines and treatments to the stuff you get in a hospital, and runs an office disguised as an apothecary instead of one of those places that's all impersonal."

Black Steel had never heard of such a thing before, but it did sound a lot better than what he'd experienced before. If that was the kind of doctor these people had, maybe they weren't so bad after all.

He jumped slightly as a door slammed and the sound of running feet could be heard, only to blink in surprise as an indignant female voice rang out.

"Natsu! Don't you dare go stomping all over my clean floor while you're covered in mud like that!"

"But Lucy!" Salamander's voice whined, "Metalhead's awake!"

"And he'll still be awake in the five minutes it'll take you to hose off that mud and steam yourself dry! Or better yet, you can hose off and then take a proper shower!"

There was a strangled choking sound as Salamander was forcibly stopped where he stood, Devil Slayer's quiet laughter breaking through the silence.

"And you too! Shower up, you're just as filthy as he is!" Lucy's voice echoed after him.

Black Steel listened in, somewhat surprised to hear Devil Slayer's mutinous muttering, and even more so when he seemed to obey Lucy's order.

Levy just giggled at Black Steel's dumbstruck expression, her hand settling over his bandaged arm.

"She has a way with people," Levy smiled at him and bit her bottom lip for a moment. Her hand curled around his wrist, "I teamed up with Jellal in the days you were out. Lucy has pretty far reach, so we have enough resources here."

"I was able to confirm who you were based off Jellal's investigation," Levy spoke up, her eyes catching his surprised ones. Dark red met brown, her hesitation clear.

"Your name is Gajeel Redfox, you're paternal cousins with Salamander, Natsu and Zeref Dragneel," Levy smiled at him, clearly nervous.

Black Steel stared at her in disbelief, "I... what?"

Levy nodded, "Yeah." She set a file in his lap, "The details are all in there, but the gist is that years ago Natsu's dad, Igneel, was killed. We're not a hundred percent sure Zeref did it, but considering what we know about the man it seems likely. After Igneel died your dad took his nephews in. Well, mostly Natsu. Zeref was much older than you both."

"An' lemme guess..." Black Steel growled his hand clenching into a fist.

Levy nodded sadly, "Yeah. We don't have any conclusive proof of course, but the evidence speaks pretty strongly for itself."

Black Steel forced himself to take a deep breath and exhale. A very large part of him wanted to scream and rage against what he'd just heard. Against the truth of it. But he knew Levy had never lied to him. Not once since he'd met her.

"Gajeel." He growled, testing the name out, and as weird as it sounded to not be Black Steel, the name felt... right. As if it was dredging up something old and familiar and putting it back on again.

He grinned toothily at her, "I like it."

Levy beamed in relief, as the sound of running water shut off and Lucy reprimanded both Natsu and Devil Slayer to get dressed before barging into Gajeel's room.

Gajeel snorted a bit, amused despite the emotion churning in his belly, "Does Devil Slayer have a name too?"

Levy grinned, "Yeah. His name's Gray Fullbuster. He was actually one of the easiest to identify once Jellal was able to run prints. His big sister was part of Grimorie Heart and recently arrested." She coughed a little, "He's actually been to see her. He... had more than a few choice words for her from what I hear."

"I don't know what Grimoire Heart is, but it don't sound good," Gajeel muttered. Before he could ask more about it, Salamander and Devil Slayer both slammed into the room knocking the door nearly off its hinges.

Levy let out a surprised shriek, not having had Gajeel's senses to pick up on their approach.

"Yo tacklebox, it's about time ya woke up!" Salamander— or Natsu, crowed at the sight of Black Steel sitting upright.

Black Steel— Gajeel— stared at the man who was probably his last remaining living family member and fought to see the similarities between them. He had never noticed before, and perhaps thought it was because their designations shared the same class, but they did have similarities.

They were both broad shouldered, with the same kind of eyes and a magic that was similar in nature.

Perhaps their similarities were why they had the same class.

"Sal- Natsu," Gajeel corrected himself. His eyes landed on the taller of the two, "Gray."

"Got it faster than me," Gray acknowledged, he lifted his chin to Levy, "you need some rest too. You can't be pushing yourself too hard in your condition."

"Condition?" Natsu asked, his head cocking towards them.

Levy colored bright red, "Gray!" She hissed, "I wasn't ready to tell everyone that!"

"Tell us what?" Natsu asked, his concern spiking, "They didn't do something to you in there did they?"

Levy, somehow, turned a brighter shade of red, and shook her head frantically, "No! Nothing like that!" She buried her face in her hands, "This is too embarrassing."

Gajeel felt a little sorry for her, and reached painfully around to rub her shoulder, "They were gonna take her." He rumbled to Natsu, "I wasn't havin' sex with her, so they were gonna take her."

He sighed, "I told her what would happen, an' the two ways to get out of it. She chose me 'stead of bein' hurt. It worked for a while, but... well..." He blushed a bit, "The whole point 'o her bein' there happened. It's why they was gonna take her again an' I attacked 'em."

"It's why we were able to escape." Gray said softly, "Gajeel somehow overpowered the inhibitor when they tried to take Levy and the baby away. That gave us the opening we needed."

Natsu gaped at the three of them incredulously, "You... I..." He looked at Gajeel, "You're really a sire?"

"Father." Levy corrected, finally able to look up, though her cheeks were still red, "Father is the term you want." She took a breath and nodded, "And yes he is." She looked at Natsu challengingly, "I don't regret it either. I walked into his bed knowing what could happen, and though I hoped it wouldn't it has and I'm not going to let anything happy to this baby."

Natsu grinned toothily at her, "Hey I think it's great!" He replied, "The Outside is pretty awesome, and Metalhead'll make a great father once he's used to it out here. Lucy's gonna kill ya for not telling her though."

"Oh no she will," Levy gasped and pressed her hands to the side of her face. She glanced at Natsu, who flashed her a wicked smirk.

"I'll keep my mouth shut," he purred, "got other things on my mind."

"Like Lucy," Gray muttered.

"What about me?"

They turned to see Lucy peering around the corner, her eyebrow raised when she pushed between Natsu and Gray's bulky forms. She leaned against his shoulder, her hip pressing into his.

His eyes slid towards her, a soft breath shared between them before Lucy looked at Levy, "Its rude to talk about someone when they're not in the room."

"Sorry Lu," Levy gave her a smile, "I was just telling the boys here I needed to share some _private_ news with you before they started flapping their gums."

She shot Gray a pointed look, who stared up at the ceiling as if he didn't noticed her glare.

"I'll love to hear all about it," Lucy smirked at them, "but first, I've got papers for our new friends. Courtesy of a very worried Jet and Droy. You may want to pay your bodyguards a visit soon, I think they're going to lose their minds soon."

"Bodyguards?" Gajeel blinked, frowning over at Levy in confusion.

"Ah, yeah. Sorta," Levy scratched the back of her head.

"Mhm," Lucy swept over to her friend, curling her arm around her small shoulders as she leaned over to hand Gajeel his papers, "I may be the brains of the operation, but Levy plays a very crucial role in the logistics of my operation. I couldn't do what I do without her, so she holds a very high position in my organization."

"And I don't care much to get my hands dirty unless I need to, so I have my assistants," Levy explained, "Jet and Droy serve as my bodyguards, mostly out of convenience."

"Meaning they're good at their job and passable at protection," Natsu clarified, "lame."

"It was difficult enough for Lucy to find a bodyguard for herself," Levy mumbled, "imagine trying to find _two_."

"Yes but I should have tried a little harder to have you protected. Otherwise you wouldn't have been taken to begin with," Lucy argued back with her.

"You don't know that Lucy, I wasn't taken because of my connection to Fairy Tail," Levy replied, her smile landing on Gajeel, "and besides. I don't regret it."

"Perhaps, but the same mistake won't be made twice," Lucy said thoughtfully. Natsu raised an eyebrow at the sight of Lucy staring at Levy, her clever and somewhat Mercenary-like mind no doubt racing.

"Gajeel, would you like a job?" Lucy asked after a moment.

Natsu didn't bother to hide a snort of laughter at that, "oh I get the feeling he's already got one."

He wheezed when Gray elbowed him in the stomach.

"A job?" Gajeel asked, ignoring how Gray and Natsu began to fight in the background, "What kinda job?"

Lucy gestured back to where Natsu was currently attempting to rip out a handful of Gray's hair.

It was hardly the picture of professionalism but she held her tongue for the time being, "Natsu is in my employ as my bodyguard. His skill set is very well suited to his position, and I imagine both you and Gray will also excel in similar positions."

Gajeel blinked a little as he processed that bit of information, hating how slow he was feeling at the moment, and slowly grinned, "You wanna hire me t' protect the shrimp?"

"I'm not a shrimp!" Levy huffed in protest.

Gajeel just turned his grin on her, "You're not?" He asked with mock seriousness, "But you're little enough to be bite sized! An' I should know."

Levy gawked at him for a moment, while Lucy tried to muffle her laughter in the background, "Wha? You... Gajeel!" She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance and glared at the now openly laughing Lucy, "You're not helping!"

"Neither are you." Lucy cackled as she brought herself back under control and looked at the now quietly laughing Gajeel, "And yes, that's exactly what I'm proposing."

"You know I been havin' sex with her?" Gajeel asked, and Lucy shrugged.

"As long as it doesn't prevent you from doing your job, and things don't get awkward because of an argument or something, what you two do in the bedroom isn't any of my business." She eyed him thoughtfully, "That said, if personal issues get to the point you can't stand the sight of each other I expect you to come to me about it. I would rather swap you with one of my enforcers than deal with high school drama."

"Luuuuuuu..." Levy whined, but Lucy turned a serious eye on her.

"No, I mean it." She replied, not noticing how Natsu had started paying close attention in the background, "Jet and Droy were never professionally trained, and never properly acted like bodyguards. Actual bodyguarding is a lot more intimate than you think. And if something happens to the trust required for it then it's an issue I need to address."

Gajeel nodded, "Blondie's right." He grunted and met Levy's eyes, "I ain't aimin' to mess up what we've got, but Outside ain't like the cell."

Levy reached forward and curled her hands around his uninjured one, "Then I'll teach you all about the Outside, and it won't be a problem!" She hissed fiercely, "I'm not giving you up now!"

Lucy's expression softened at her friend's ferocity and she dropped a soothing hand on her shoulder, "I'll go call Macao and have him draw up the contract."

Levy set her hand over Lucy's and gave her an apologetic smile, "There's something you should know though, about us before you run out to get that contract drawn up."

Lucy quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to explain and Levy gave her friend a small smile.

"I'm pregnant, when Juvia was here I had her get me a test, but the agency had already done their exams before we broke out," she slid her hand off Lucy's and into Gajeel's.

"And the baby is Gajeel's," Lucy said slowly, to her credit keeping her reactions muted.

Levy nodded and gave Lucy a nervous look, and even Gajeel could feel the tension from her friend. After all, this Lucy person seemed to mean a great deal to Levy, and had a wide scope of influence by the looks of things.

"Then I think there won't be anyone more motivated to keep you safe," Lucy smiled after her eyes swept over Levy's anxious expression, doing her best to read her body language.

Levy sighed in relief and her fingers curled happily over her stomach.

"I know it wasn't something you were immediately planning for, but you look like your dedicated to your future," Lucy smiled at Levy and squeezed her into a hug, "Congratulations."

Her eyes narrowed at Levy, "any _other_ world shaking revelations you'd like to drop on me now while you have my attention?"

Levy just laughed and shook her head.

"Good, now I'll have the contracts prepped for you Gajeel. This means you'll be staying with Levy in her private residence after your recovery, and I'll give you the information concerning your salary and benefits once Macao has a chance to look into it," Lucy nodded to Gajeel.

She beckoned for Natsu and Gray to follow her and give Gajeel some time to process it. In the meantime, she had another man she needed to set on his path.

She closed the door behind her, jerking her head for the two men to follow her into her office.

It was a spacious place, with large windows that allowed natural lighting to pour in. Gray thumped in and sat down in one of Lucy's comfortable chairs while Natsu wandered over to the window.

He kept his back towards them, instead staring out at the perimeter and making himself as much of the background as was possible.

Lucy crossed long legs and leaned against her desk.

"Now what do you want to do Mr. Fullbuster?" Lucy asked him, her hands bracing along the edges.

"As I understand your abilities, you have a creative eye and quick mind. You're better suited not necessarily towards bodyguard work, but information gathering and infiltration. Useful, but not always what we do here in Magnolia," Lucy cocked her head at him, "assuming you wish to stay. After I set you up with your papers, you are of course welcome to leave and carve out your own path."

"I do believe your sister fell into a Grimoire Heart because she was trying to find a way into the underground to get rumors to locate you. Jellal has plans to rehabilitate her to perhaps make her a deputy, as we do believe in second chances here," Lucy shrugged, "but by no means are you tied down here. I think Juvia is fond of you though."

Gray's lips twitched upwards at the mention of Juvia, "She is... interesting." He agreed in amusement before sobering, "But I don't really want to follow Natsu or Gajeel in this." He frowned a little, "Not that I mind a good fight, or helping if it's needed, but I'm tired of death and killing and constantly watching my back."

Lucy nodded understandingly, "You're not the first person to tell me that, and you probably won't be the last. Do you think you'll stay in Magnolia?"

This time Gray quirked a wry smirk at her, "Where else would I go?" He asked, "The things that matter to me are here. And I've seen how you run your town. You're a damn sight better than most leaders. Plus you've gone out of your way to help us when you didn't have to. You even promised us revenge. I'd say I owe you enough to stick around at least."

Lucy smiled at him, "I didn't do it so you would owe me something. Not this time."

Gray shrugged, "Doesn't matter. It's still a debt. And I like to pay those off."

"Fair enough." Lucy hummed, "But what do you want to do here? It would be kind of counter-productive to help you out just to put you back on the street again."

Gray hesitated, "I'm... not sure." He admitted at last, "I've been trained to blend into any society I come in contact with in whatever way I need to avoid suspicion. As a result I have a wider variety of training than the others."

Lucy leaned back in her chair thoughtfully, "Like Jellal." She mused, "And your magic is more practical than his is." She grinned as an idea hit her, "Have you ever thought about going into business for yourself?"

"I... what?" Gray asked, taken a bit off guard by the idea, "I mean I can... but what did you have in mind?"

Lucy's grin widened, "Well, depending on how you feel about working with sweets... I happen to know a lady who would _love_ to drop her current supplier, but hasn't found anyone half a good to replace them." She leaned forward excitedly, "And there's a vacant plot of land not far from her either."

"Uh what? Sweets?" Gray frowned, trying to catch up with Lucy's train of thought, "I'm sorry I've got no idea what you're talking about."

"Gray, you've gotten the culinary training for undercover assignments, Lucy is wantin' to see if you'll put some of them baking skills to good use. Maybe whip up some ice cream to satisfy this towns monster sweet tooth." Natsu translated.

"You're a chef?" Lucy asked Gray, rather surprised by that revelation.

"Poison is a fast and easy way to eliminate a target," Gray explained, "being able to pose in various fields was important. Although I do enjoy it."

"Not the poisoning part," he clarified.

"I didn't think you meant that," Lucy couldn't help but smile, "Cana owns a bistro that serves coffee, pastries and cakes. However her current supplier is shipped from out of Magnolia and she has to pay a great deal for services that are sometimes late and don't pass Erza's taste test. It's made for a very limited menu for her as of late."

"It used to be more consistent, but I believe the previous owner retired and the company changed hands. It's missing what used to make it special," Lucy smiled at Gray, "if you're as good as you're saying, then you may have someone buying your goods in bulk. And you can serve your special ice cream as a steady income."

A business owner?

Gray swallowed at the thought, but it was an exciting prospect.

He smiled, nodding slightly at the idea.

"Alright then, how do I do it?" Gray frowned at Lucy.

"I'll be getting you the start up for it, which would make me a share holder to your company, I own the plot of land the store would be situated on, but we will get those walls up here," Lucy hummed, "in a sense though, you would be working for me. Your business, run it how you please, but I'm your land lady."

She gave him a wry smirk, "I might call on you for the occasional favor if I need to make use of your other skills that Natsu or one of my other guys can't provide. But you'd be essentially becoming a member of Fairy Tail."

"Of course you aren't obligated to jump if I ask you for something," Lucy clarified, "Fairy Tail is like my family. And I have a vested interest in keeping my family and its friends safe."

"And I could walk away from this at any point?" Gray asked.

"That's up to you," Lucy smiled back, "No one is forced to stay."

"Should you decide to leave your business with no one to take care of it, the rights of it revert back to me and I will have the run of it, but that's all," Lucy nodded.

Well he certainly couldn't argue with terms like those. Not when she would be the primary force behind the business. In fact, by most standards her terms were generous. He was very aware of how easily others with similar leverage could, and would, take full advantage of it. The fact she would be hands off unless there was an actual problem was a point in her favor.

Gray nodded slowly, "Alright. I'd like everything neatly in writing before I agree, but if you stick to those terms I'm more than willing."

Lucy smiled, "That won't be a problem Gray." She promised, "When it comes to Fairy Tail, I always deal above board. And if you'd like to talk to Cana or some of the others about how I handle their businesses while we wait for the paperwork I won't mind."

That was another point in her favor, and Gray smiled back as they shook on it, "I might just do that."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

"I don't think I've ever seen old Snowcone this happy." Natsu commented as he and Lucy made their way through the crowd to where Gray looked torn between flustered and delighted as he greeted his many guests for his grand opening.

"It looks good on him." Lucy replied in satisfaction.

It had taken a whole three months to get everything organized and built, but she was _very_ pleased with this investment so far. Gray hadn't been particular about anything except his kitchen, so she'd had the immense pleasure of getting to sit down with her design team and hash out the shop front and other features.

And Gray himself had proved he really was capable of producing culinary wonders. He'd jumped headlong into the idea and put his head together with Cana to see what she had vs. what she wanted, and work out a new, vastly improved, menu. The end result of which was that Cana's place had become less coffee shop and more actual bistro, to the brunette's unending delight.

Even better, Gray had offered Cana exclusive rights to the new stuff on her menu for as long as she bought only from him. It had been a good deal, and the result was a partnership that benefited everyone.

She just wished all of her projects were going as well.

Levy had been dismayed when she'd discovered that despite her projecting a signal out of the lab the natural interference in the area made finding it extremely difficult. Even three months later she hadn't made any headway on pinpointing it.

The only good thing was that the attacks seemed to have stopped in the meantime.

"I think he's getting a little overwhelmed though," Natsu observed, feeling the temperature drop a couple of degrees by proximity. He was faintly amused to see how many girls seemed to flock to Gray, his handsome face and calm outward appearance made him seem very approachable.

Although inwardly, Natsu figured he former Devil Slayer was internally screaming being the center of attention. It wasn't really his thing, and he was prone to getting embarrassed.

"Should we do something before he freezes someone into an ice cube?" Natsu asked, but Lucy shook her head.

"I've got someone already here to cover his back," Lucy looked victorious.

"Free samples over here!" Juvia's voice rang out, clear and loud over the din of noise.

It effectively cut down on the rush of people attempting to talk to Gray at once, drawing the crowd into a much more manageable surge while Juvia dealt with being swarmed.

Gray looked obviously relieved while Juvia laughed and handed out the samples with a bright smile for each person, answering questions for every little thing.

That left him able to answer the people who weren't pulled away by the prospect of free sweets. Lucy flashed Natsu a wicked smirk and cocked her head at him, "you didn't think I'd leave Gray flapping in the wind without throwing him a bone did you?"

The last thing she wanted was something like the movie theater happening to Gray like it did with Natsu on his opening day. Living in mostly isolation and dropping into civilian life wasn't easy for anyone.

Even Gray, whose position put him in more contact with people on jobs as opposed to Natsu whose only interaction with a person was to directly injure them.

"Clever." Natsu laughed approvingly as they finally eeled their way up to Gray, who looked delighted to see them.

"Hey!" She greeted, "Looks like the grand opening is a bit hit so far!"

"Bigger than I expected." Gray replied with a rueful laugh, "I guess I underestimated how popular an ice cream parlor would be."

"Are you kidding?" Cana laughed as she joined him, "Magnolia hasn't had a decent ice cream shop since old man Makarov retired!"

"Seriously?" Gray asked, "But why not?"

Cana shrugged a bit, "No one was interested I guess. Makarov was like a grandpa to all the kids in town before his health forced him to retire." She grinned, "You can probably look forward to him showing up today to check the place out."

"I imagine he'll be more interested in Juvia and her free samples first." Lucy said wryly, "When does the new menu debut?"

"Tomorrow." Cana replied promptly, "We agreed that we would let Gray have his big day before I announced our partnership and the new menu."

"What's this about a partnership?"

"No printing that ahead of time Wakaba you hear me?" Cana scolded the grinning journalist.

"Aw, c'mon! Would I do that?" Wakaba grinned.

"In a heartbeat old man." Cana huffed and he clasped his hands over his heart dramatically.

"Cana you wound me!" He gasped, "I'm not that old!"

"Hmph."

Wakaba chuckled and held out his hand to Gray, "We haven't had a chance to meet yet. I was following up on a story out of town when you came in. I'm Wakaba."

"He's one of us." Lucy murmured as Gray reached out to take his hand and his expression went from subtly wary to relaxed smiles in a flash.

"I see." He replied, "It's real nice to meet you."

"Likewise kid." Wakaba replied, "Now, from where I'm standing it looks like your staff have everything under control. Would you have a few minutes to spare to show a journalist around?"

"Sure thing." Gray replied.

Cana draped her arm over Wakaba's shoulders, "Mind if I come with?" She grinned, "If you're good we might even give you an exclusive."

Natsu grinned when Gray was dragged along to give a tour of the shop. He snorted when he leaned towards Lucy, "I don't think Juvia is going to like being left alone for long."

"Probably not," Lucy grinned and pushed around to get themselves a couple of scoops of ice cream. Natsu grunted in thanks, but leaned over to swipe his tongue light over Lucy's cone. He ignored her aghast face and gave her a blank look when he began to eat his own ice cream.

"You know Juvia isn't going to poison me," Lucy chided.

Natsu snorted and leaned closer to her, a wry smirk on his face, "maybe I thought yours looked tastier?"

"And what do you think?" Lucy drawled back, not buying his sauciness. Natsu just bent his head towards her ear, a lazy smirk drifting over his face, "I'll let you know later."

Lucy felt a shiver of warmth shake through her body, a thrill of excitement surging through her body at his growled promise. Natsu certainly had a great deal of stamina and endurance, which suited her just fine. Now that things were starting to go well for them, they could take the time and opportunity to explore the connection between them.

The feelings and hopes Lucy had whispered to Natsu that day his family had returned.

She smiled softly at the thought and trailed a finger over his arm where he'd recently gotten his official Fairy Tail tattoo, "I look forward to it."

That and much more.

-::-

Lucy grinned as she checked herself one last time in the mirror and did a little twirl. She was dressed to kill tonight and it showed. This devilish little number was one of Aries' best works. It was a smoky purple Asian style dress with a gold dragon curling around her hem and up her back. It clung to every one of her curves, and felt like she was wearing the finest silk, and she felt positively sinful in it.

Which was good as she had every intention of driving her personal fire dragon wild with it.

Satisfied she looked as hot as she felt she grabbed her purse and prowled down the stairs where Natsu was waiting. She grinned at the sight of him in one his more casual suits. After much squabbling with Loke they'd finally reached a compromise for club wear that Natsu could fight, and dance, in.

"Looking good boss lady." Natsu growled appreciatively as he raked his eyes over her, "Are you plannin' to slay the whole club in that?"

"That would only be a bonus." She smirked back, "I've only got my sights set on one person tonight." She curled a teasing finger under his chin, "And if he's good I'll give him an extra special treat."

Natsu smirked back at her, his eyes glittering almost black with their intent alone. He took a step back and allowed her down the last couple of steps.

"I rather enjoy your 'treats,'" Natsu laughed and grabbed Lucy's keys from the table and his wallet. It was still odd for him to adjust to such normal tasks, but with her gentle guidance he was making strides to be more acclimated with people.

Even though many things still baffled him. Like the garbage disposal.

He didn't know why anyone would stick precious food morsels down the sink of all places.

He reached out and opened the door to Lucy's car, letting her slide in before getting into the drivers side. His boss was feeling very frisky and excited tonight, and he had a feeling she was either going to drag him into the dance floor or drag him into a dark corner at some point.

Either option he was completely fine with. Although he did remain vigilant no matter where they were. It seemed like Lucy was a magnet for trouble when she was wanting to enjoy herself.

Just last week he stuck some guys head through the window of his car for trying to take a picture up Lucy's skirt.

Just the memory of it filled Natsu's blood with rage and he eased his grip on her steering wheel when he pulled out of her driveway.

It seemed Lucy was psychic, or just determined to kill him, as she immediately distracted him from his rage by running a hand up his thigh. He glanced over and smirked as he noticed her eyes were already fastened on his groin, and she looked like she was contemplating doing something about it.

"Don't even think about it." He chuckled, "Last time you followed up on that look Jellal banned me from driving for two whole weeks."

Lucy relaxed back into her seat, her eyes lifting up to meet his, "I still say it was worth it."

"For you maybe." He replied, "I was the one who had to deal with being driven everywhere."

Lucy chuckled a little and conceded the point with a nod, "Alright, the fallout might've been a tad harsh on that one. I wonder if we'll run into Gajeel and Levy tonight?"

"I hope not." Natsu replied, "Last time Gajeel just about had a heart attack over Levy dancing."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Gajeel needs to relax a little. Levy's pregnant, not broken. And she's trying to have her fun before her pregnancy advances any more."

Natsu relaxed a little at the implication Levy wouldn't be clubbing much longer. He didn't want to admit it, but the sight of that growing little swell in her belly had _him_ itching to treat her like fine china. And he wasn't even the father. He couldn't imagine how Gajeel was feeling.

He said no more on it though as they pulled into the parking lot. He smirked a bit as the valets hurried to open doors and help Lucy out. He had to admit, it was nice being a permanent VIP. Lucy nodded politely to them as she headed to the door, even going so far as to ask one of the younger kids how his studies were going, before sashaying inside.

"Oh hell yes." She groaned, almost too softly for him to hear, as the music began pounding into their bones, "This is what I need."

"You want a drink first?" He growled into her ear, "Or straight to the dancing?"

"If we dance now I might tear you clothes off in front of everyone." Lucy laughed, "Drinks up stairs and then we can hit the floor."

He nodded and followed her up to the VIP lounge, automatically cataloguing the others there, as Mira came over to greet them.

Natsu did a sweep around while Mira was there keeping an eye on Lucy, taking the opportunity to look at every available person. There didn't seem to be anyone currently in the crowd that was of interest, only a couple of business suit types who were no doubt trying to catch sight of the elusive Lucy.

Many people tried to get in contact with her, hopeful for contracts over land or jumpstarts of business. Sometimes Natsu had to be firm with people who wanted to push it too far after Lucy rejected their claims.

The ones in the crowd though looked young faced and didn't move even when they caught sight of Lucy, so for the time being Natsu didn't say anything and merely fetched Lucy her drink.

He took a drink as well, not because it did anything for him. It didn't, but Lucy didn't enjoy drinking alone and it was mostly for show on his part. Alcohol had never affected him.

He carried the drinks back to Lucy and they went into her upstairs room so she could enjoy her privacy for the time being until she wanted to join the throng of dancers.

Natsu would have thought with the loud music and noises assaulting his senses, this would be one of the last places he enjoyed being, but it was actually the opposite.

He enjoyed moving, dancing and being with Lucy with the pulse of music beating through his heart and searing his blood. There was something primal to it, giving an outlet to his energy and physicality.

His eyes followed Lucy's perfect round ass as she walked up the stairs ahead of him, mouth watering with the desire to lean forward and sink his teeth into the plump flesh. Smothering a groan, Natsu swept into her room first and then closed the door behind them.

Lucy sat down on a comfortable chair, sipping at her drink. Her eyes travelled over Natsu when he sat down across from her.

"See something you like?" He purred as he leaned back in a deceptively relaxed pose.

"I could ask you the same question." Lucy smirked as she shifted into a position that accentuated her curves even more, and Natsu couldn't help a small groan as fire flooded his veins.

"You're going to be the death of me." He growled roughly, not bothering to hide his reaction to her at all. Though he was briefly grateful the suit was loose enough to keep it from being obvious to everyone but Lucy.

"And you'll enjoy every moment of it." She promised as she took a sip of her drink, enjoying the warmth the alcohol brought.

"Probably." He agreed easily as he downed half his drink in one go.

Lucy shivered at the look in his eyes when he did, and briefly entertained the idea of going over there and sitting herself in his lap. This was her private lounge after all, and the idea of sitting on something else besides his lap was enticing.

She held herself back though. as eager as she was to play, she was far more interested in drawing it out for now. She wanted to drive him wild and then wrap herself around him as he lost all control.

She plucked at a cherry in her drink, and smirked as she lightly licked the liquid off it before sucking it into her mouth. Natsu's eyes darkened further and she decided she'd had quite enough of teasing him up here.

She downed the rest of her drink, shivering a bit as the alcohol hit her, and stood, "C'mon." She purred, "Let's go dance."

She didn't have to ask him twice as he immediately put down his drink and got up with a heated growl. Smirking triumphantly, she curled her hand into his and led him back outside where the music was at its loudest, a ripple of pleasure hitting her as it slammed into her.

She eagerly dragged him to the dance floor just as the song changed and pressed herself tightly against him, curling her mouth around to his ear, "Shall we have some fun?"

She felt a growl rumble in his chest, vibrating through his body almost as strong as the music pulsing around them, "can you keep up?" He growled

His hands settled down, light against her waist but travelled down to cup her rear. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he pulled her hips flush against his, letting her feel his eager heat burning through his pants.

A throaty gasp escaped her at the way he discreetly massaged her rear.

"I guess we'll find out," Lucy moaned breathless.

She gasped when he abruptly turned her around, bringing her back to his chest. His large hand settled light over her stomach, applying pressure into her lower stomach right where she could feel a knot of pleasure burning like molten beginning to spread.

She moaned, lifting her hand up to cradled the back of his neck as he bent to caress sharp fangs over the part of her throat she had exposed.

Lucy ground herself back against him to the beat, her heart racing for every bump and grind she dragged against him. Lucy could feel Natsu's desire, thick and heavy against her ass, her core pulsing with an ache to be filled.

The desire to hike her dress up in the back and have more contact with him roared to life in her and she squirmed with heady want. The music pulsed between them, one song bleeding into another as Natsu remained molded to her, hands moving over her clothes.

At one point his burning hand pulled around her breast while the other rubbed down the front of her dress. Her dress folded between her legs for a moment as his thick fingers slid into the slit of her leg to press wickedly into her core. He palmed her breast for a brief moment, a hungry mewl escaping her.

She almost feared he was doing a better job of seducing her than she was him. Lucy could feel how swollen and aching she was. How much she craved for him to fill her with every delicious inch of him.

There was a slickness between her legs, the angry throb at her core demanding attention, and when the next song ended she had to fight to catch her breath before she tackled him.

It seemed Natsu wasn't interested in waiting.

With a final nip at her ear he pulled away, and curled his hand around hers as he tugged her towards the edge of the floor. Her heart thumped at the dark grin on his face promising she was about to get everything she wanted and more, and the fire burning brightly in the back of his eyes.

It seemed her gambit had worked better than she'd dreamed. She grinned back and quickly slid up to his side, her arm curling around her waist.

He rumbled approvingly at her, but said nothing as he led her back to her private lounge. However, the moment they returned all thoughts of their impending fun ground to a screeching halt at the sight of the man sitting there with a scowl on his face.

Beside her, Natsu stiffened as he registered the change, in a moment going from hot blooded lover to protective bodyguard as he moved in front of her.

"Lucy." The man greeted as he rose, and Lucy dropped a calming hand on Natsu's arm as she moved around him.

"It's alright Natsu." She said with forced calm, and raised her chin as she looked at the man waiting for them, "Hello father."

She eyed the man she hadn't seen in nearly a decade for a moment and glanced at Natsu, "Natsu, this is my father Jude Heartfilia." She looked back at her father and smiled so sweetly it hurt, "Father, this is Natsu."

She gestured to the table, "Do sit back down." She said as she slid into a seat, lightly tugging a lowly growling Natsu behind her, "I mean, I would hate to inconvenience you after you went to such trouble to make yourself at home."

"Lucy..." The man sighed as he sat back down. Lucy, however, ignored him as she caught Mira's anxious gaze and shook her head slightly. She would handle this herself. She doubted anyone else _could_ deal with her father without bloodshed.

"So father." She said once they were settled, "What brings you all the way out to Magnolia?"

Jude frowned, "Is it such a mystery?" He asked, "I've been looking for you ever since your deplorable actions in running away all those years ago."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, "Then you clearly haven't been looking very hard." She retorted, "I haven't exactly been subtle in my business dealings."

Jude huffed, eyeballing The man next to his daughter who looked as though he were attempting not to lunge over the table and strangle him.

"Yes, but it's come to my attention that your little business venture is tied up with an unsavory sort," He eyed Natsu pointedly, "I've come to salvage the Heartfilia name before you can bring more shame to it."

"I've arranged for you to be married," Jude said casually, frowning at the way Natsu seemed to go rigid at that news.

"Married?" Lucy snorted in disbelief and leaned back, her eyes narrowing on her father. The anger that boiled in her eyes was unmasked, but she didn't bother to raise her voice, "What makes you think I would ever marry _anyone_ you throw my way?"

"The man I have arranged for you to marry is a Duke and comes from a royal family," Jude said severely, "you _will_ marry him. You don't have a choice, or I will ensure you and your business ventures here will crumble."

Lucy's eyes narrowed, her voice dropping low, "are you _threatening _me? I would tell you that's a very stupid thing to do in my club."

She could feel the temperature around them rise by Natsu's ambient fury, her hand settling between his shoulder blades and rubbing a soothing hand down his spine.

"I will tell you this one time Father, and one time only so I hope you hear it. You don't have any ground to stand on to come into my town and tell me what to do. You lost that right years ago," Lucy smirked at him coldly, razors in her eyes, "but if you threaten me again, it's _your_ empire you'll see crumble."

"You think you and your petty band of thugs can take me down?" Jude demanded, and Lucy gave him a frigid smile worthy of Gray.

"I know we can." She replied, "Because what you fail to comprehend is that I don't lead a 'petty band of thugs'. I lead a family. A family forged out of something stronger and more durable than blood. Something you never could grasp. And if I ask them to go to war against you, I guarantee there will be nothing left of the Heartfilia Koncern by the time they're done. So by all means, threaten me again. I dare you."

She waited for a moment as Jude gaped at her, his expression slowly darkening. She felt Natsu tensing under her hand and without thinking got up and plopped herself firmly in his lap.

"He's not worth it my love." She purred hotly at him and smiled, "Not right now."

She didn't give him time to respond before leaning over to pull him into a scorching kiss, a soft moan of pleasure pulling from her as all the heat from the dance floor came rushing back.

Natsu growled into the kiss and returned it hungrily, his hands curling around her possessively.

"Lucy..." He growled as they came up for air, uncertainty warring with fury in his eyes.

Lucy smiled at him, "Relax." She purred, "I have no intention of marrying some smelly, inbred, duke."

She shifted against him, rubbing against the hardness still there, "I'm not interested in giving this up."

Jude stood up angrily, his chair toppling over and glass smashing down on the table. His eyes were narrowed with rage at the sight of his daughter with some strange no-named man. And doing such indecent things in public!

"You will regret this Lucy!" He spat at her, throwing another chair away from him as he stormed away.

Natsu's eyes followed him, furious and tensing. However he was stopped from going after the man by Lucy pressing a hand at his jaw and gyrating her hips punishingly against his. Natsu almost arched out of his chair, eyes fogging up with renewed lust.

"What did I say Natsu?" Lucy purred against his lips, her aching core giving an insistent throb at the thin layers of fabric separating his burning heat from her.

Her hips rolling this time more obviously against him, a flush working over her cheeks as she could feel the delicious friction rubbing over her sensitive core. Her hand settled at his chest, fingers ripping open his top buttons. She could see Natsu's lips pulling back in a hungry snarl, fangs gleaming in the low light.

"Let him go, ain't worth it," Natsu growled, his voice sounding husky and thick. His hand dragged over her creamy thigh, bunching up her dress even higher to buck up into her barely covered core. His fingers pressed firm dots into her sensitive inner flesh, feeling her thighs slick with wetness.

Smirking up at Lucy, his hand searched up under her dress, a burning finger yanking her thin panties to the side to plunge a finger into her core. He groaned as it slid into her drenched womanhood, his cock throbbing with mad desire to have her swollen lips wrapped around him.

"You're gonna kill me," Natsu repeated, not for the first time as she let out a desperate noise and thrust back down onto his fingers with a wet sound that left his entire body aflame. Her wicked eyes met his, her plump lips rosy and petal soft looking.

"Oh I don't want you to die Natsu," Lucy purred to him, relishing in the feeling of being with the one she truly wanted, "I want you so mad to your desire, you can't think beyond how much you want me."

"Mission 'complished." Natsu groaned as he leaned forward and captured those rosy lips in a desperate kiss.

He moaned needily as he felt her clever fingers slide between them and tug at his pants until they popped open, and arched into her touch as she coaxed him out until at last he hissed as the cooler air of the club hit him.

"You are hungry." She purred as she curled her fingers around him and gave a gentle squeeze at his already weeping tip.

He growled and slid another finger into her in retaliation, "Mine!" He growled darkly, mercilessly rubbing her clit and enjoying the way she thrashed when he did.

"Yours." She moaned in agreement, "Gods Natsu... I need..."

Natsu slammed their mouths together again as he pulled his fingers away and pulled her down harshly onto him, burying himself to the hilt. A wild moan pulled from both of them at the sensation, and he instinctively curled his hands around her hips as she began to move.

He snarled as he lifted her up and slammed her back down in a harsh rhythm that had everything in him screaming wildly in approval. His. She was his. Not some duke's. And she felt incredible.

He pulled her flush to him as they moved wildly against each other, the pounding music rattling through them, but still taking a back seat to the beat between them as worked to make her scream for him.

Natsu didn't want to share her with anyone, his eagerness to chase after Lucy's pleasure leaving every nerve between their bodies stretched to their breaking points. He snarled against Lucy's neck as she threw her head back and let out a strangled sounding scream.

He watched her come undone greedily, licking his lips at the sensation of her inner muscles fluttering around him, tight and pulling insistently at him.

"I'm not done with you yet," Natsu growled thick to her, hands hooking under her rear and twisting their bodies so he was leaning her underneath him. He slid a hand under her back, finding the zipper of her dress.

Lucy smirked at his eagerness and helped him get her dress off, grateful for the privacy her room allowed. Natsu descended on her with ravenous hunger, doing precisely what she had wanted from him.

Natsu worshiped her body, and Lucy was left breathless as he took her over and over again being rough and gentle in turns. It was as if his world had only narrowed down onto Lucy and bringing her as much pleasure as possible.

By the time Natsu was grunting out his orgasm, groaning against her neck while her back was pinned to a wall, Lucy could say she had never been so thoroughly loved before.

The sex was always incredible and attentive with Natsu, but there was something different about this time.

He panted as he pulled away from her, hair falling in his eyes. But they were soft, such a gentle and warm shade of green Lucy thought she could fall into them like springy grass.

He smiled at her, his crooked lovable smile that had her heart filling even despite the debauchery they both participated in. Lucy's breath caught as she realized what was both obvious and shocking.

She was in love with her bodyguard.

Her fingers traveled over his strong jaw, his smile pressing into her palm and leaving a dopey kiss.

Deciding not to voice her feelings out loud and confuse the waters between them, especially since she was certain Natsu wouldn't know what it meant, Lucy locked her fingers through his hair.

"Lets go home."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

Of course, the fates seemed determined to conspire against her enjoying her revelation about Natsu.

She still hadn't said anything to him about her feelings, but that had not stopped her from reveling in them. Or from noticing that a great many of his own actions supported the idea he felt something for her in return.

The knowledge alone was enough to keep her happily smiling right up until she got the first report that something was wrong.

"Slow down guys." Lucy said patiently as Gray and Cana tried to talk at once, and set down a plate of french toast in front of Gray, "Tell me what happened to have you both in such a tizzy this early."

"Our suppliers have cut us off." Gray growled as he dug a fork into his breakfast.

"Not all of them." Cana cut in from where she was already demolishing her own plate, "The local farmers delivered everything right on time as usual. It's the stuff from out of town that's the problem."

"Did they say why?" Lucy asked as she absently swatted Natsu's hand away from the bacon.

"Not a word to me." Cana replied, "They just told me they weren't able to ship to Magnolia right now due to some emergency or other, and that they'd get the deliveries done as soon as they could."

"Hmph." Gray snorted, "I don't buy it. Something preventing foodstuffs from being shipped in is caused by one of two things. Management or disaster. And since we would've heard about a disaster on that large a scale, it's gotta be management."

"Across three different suppliers?" Cana asked doubtfully, and Gray shrugged.

"It's conceivable if they were all part of the same parent corporation."

"Or if they were all being shipped the same way," Natsu supplied, managing to swipe a strip of bacon out from Lucy's nose.

"What was that?" Lucy asked, distracted by Natsu and Gray's words. They both blinked at one another and shrugged.

"Well you'd be surprised, but corporate espionage was a pretty popular employment opportunity the agency looked out for," Gray glanced at Lucy, "It's not unheard of for some companies to hire us as an agent to get specific jobs done."

"White collar crimes. Even Gajeel and I had some jobs thrown our way, but Gray was the favorite for most corporations unless they were wanting something burned for insurance money," Natsu looked at Lucy, unsure what she was thinking.

"Why?" He asked.

"Just a hunch," Lucy muttered and picked up her phone, making a few quick texts to Wakaba and Macao, "I'll need to speak with Erza."

"Huh, you're thinking this is going to be a white collar crime?" Cana frowned, "I mean thanks for thinking so highly of our little shops, but aren't we a little small town for that?"

Gray's eyes landed on Lucy, "Not when the mother company is anything but."

"You think this cut off is the first sign of an attack on you?" He asked.

"Maybe," Lucy shrugged, "I can't be sure, but I'll need to do some looking into this."

Gray's eyes narrowed and he straightened in his chair, "let me help. This is what I was made for."

Lucy gave him a hesitant look. Her head tilted to him and her brows furrowed, "are you sure Gray? You said you wanted out from this kind of stuff."

"I'm sure. This is directly affecting my new home, and I don't want anything rocking the boat here," Gray responded firmly. He stood up, "where do you want me to start?"

Lucy sighed at his stubbornness and shook her head. Natsu just smirked and gave her a nod.

"You're not going to change his mind, you might as well just go for it," He drawled.

Lucy nodded and smiled at Gray, "I'm hoping you can tell me that." She replied, "So far, anything like this has been stuff our spymaster Gildarts and Levy can handle between them." She frowned, "But if it really is my father causing trouble like I suspect, this will be over their heads."

"Your old man?!" Cana exclaimed, "Since when is he a factor?"

"As of two nights ago." Lucy replied, "He showed up at Mira's out of the blue and tried to threaten me into compliance for an arranged marriage." She snorted disdainfully at the memory, "As if he had any right to dictate any part of my life anymore."

She shook her head, "Regardless, he warned me I would regret defying him, so if we're suddenly having problems he's my primary suspect."

"But you're not sure." Gray stated, frowning a little as he processed the information, "So our first priority is finding out who is behind this."

Lucy nodded, "Once we know that I can take action." She smirked darkly, "Father dearest doesn't realize it, but Fairy Tail's been slowly buying him out for the last several years. At last check, we actually own fifty-one percent of the company."

Gray raised a somewhat impressed eyebrow, "How'd you manage that? I would think that would be something he would notice quickly."

"Ordinarily he probably would." Lucy agreed, "Except he gifted me with a full ten percent of the stocks right before I ran away." Her smirk widened, "And I don't think he ever realized that those stocks are still in my name. It's because of the dividends from that investment I was able to build what we have here. And since the rest of Fairy Tail's been replicating my portfolio..." She spread her hands, and Gray let out a cackle of laughter.

"Oh that's beautiful!" He exclaimed, "Work slow and careful, and you have insurance against him whenever you need it." He eyed her admiringly, "That's brilliant."

"It's only brilliant is my father is behind this." Lucy reminded him and looked at Cana, "I need you to get in touch with Gildarts and get him back into town as fast as he can get here. No matter who's behind it I want this nipped in the bud as fast as possible." She looked at Gray, "I'll send him in your direction once he's back in town. What do you need in the meantime?"

"Levy to do a scan on similarities comparing my ledgers to Canas," Gray answered, "and for someone to keep an eye on Ultear when I'm gone."

"How far do you expect to go?" Lucy asked, already calculating how much overtime Jellal was going to need.

"It just depends on how much trouble is coming our way," Gray smirked back at her, "but I suspect your hunch is right. And if it is, then the trouble will be coming to us"

"Don't worry, I'll do your corporate espionage from Magnolia as much as possible," Gray nodded to Lucy, who tsked and shook her head.

"Corporate espionage makes it sound so _illegal_," she purred back at him, amused by how he rolled his eyes.

"Fine," Gray snorted, still amused, "I'll poke my nose around and see what I turn up. Happy boss?"

"Very," Lucy swirled a glass of orange juice and cocked them a lazy smile, "now lets get to fixing your businesses. I won't have my favorite bistro and ice cream parlor out of sorts."

The rest of the morning was spent with idle chit-chat, Natsu stealing bites off Lucy's plate and her keeping her foot wrapped around his warm ankle.

When Gray and Cana finally left, she turned towards Natsu and hummed, "there really is no rest for the wicked, is there?"

"No, but why be anything else?" He smirked at Lucy and bent towards her, "sounds boring."

"You know what else sounds boring?" Lucy wheedled when his lips lazily grazed hers.

"What's that?" He hummed, smirking against her mouth.

"Leaving me all alone so you can spar with Erza at her dojo," Lucy pouted, bending up to him and giving him a baleful look, "what am I supposed to do all alone?"

"Your work maybe?" Natsu smirked at her.

"What if someone attacks me while you're not here?" Lucy tried again, a smile lifting her lips.

"Then hit them in the back of the head with a baseball bat, I know you've got a mean back-stroke," He chuckled, "or shoot them. You seem fond of that gun."

Lucy snorted an rolled her eyes, "Only because Plu is about as menacing as a mouse."

Plu looked up from where he was sprawled out under the table, his tail thumping hopefully for a piece of bacon. Lucy flashed him a grin and patted him on the head, "Not a chance Plu. I saw how much Cana fed you."

Plu whined a little in entreaty, attempting to look pathetic and starving, and Lucy laughed as she shook her head, "Fine, go ahead and have your spar. Plu and I will just have fun watching Netflix or something."

Natsu grinned at her and leaned over to pull her into a lingering kiss, "I'll join ya afterwards." He promised as he got up, "I'm still curious about that movie you mentioned."

Lucy grinned back at him, pleased he was interested in joining her. After the fiasco with the movies she'd carefully revisited the concept at home, where there were no chairs, adjustable volume and they could have lights on and Natsu could see the exits. It had taken some coaxing but Natsu had begun warming up to the idea after a couple episodes of her favorite series.

It was gratifying to know they'd made enough progress he was starting to make requests too.

"It's a date." She promised as her phone buzzed. She glanced down at it and saw it was from Macao and sighed a bit, "Though it looks like I have some work to do first."

Natsu laughed a little and pecked her cheek, heading out as she answered the call. He glanced back just as he headed through the door and a strange warmth filled him at the sight. He'd been feeling it more and more lately around Lucy, and he liked it quite a bit. Though he wasn't really sure what it was.

Maybe he could ask Erza.

-::-

Juvia pouted as she sulked into a large pajama shirt, her knees tucked under the blouse and her arms sucked into the sleeves. She watched Gray moving around the house, his meager belongings being packed into a bag the size of a knapsack.

She watched him from her spot, not deigning to help him or even to move. To say Juvia was upset was an understatement.

When she first agreed to have Gray stay with her, it had been more out of necessity than real desire for company. Juvia was used to being by herself with her thoughts and company, and as she had exceptionally poor luck in the dating department it meant she really didn't get surprise guests.

However as Lucy had Natsu at her place, and Levy's home was too small for anything but Gajeel and their soon to be born baby, that left only Juvia as the next available option.

Being as Gray was at least acquainted with her and hadn't ripped her head off at some point. A win in some looks apparently. She was also… uniquely qualified to handle him if he had an outburst.

It was almost embarrassing to admit how quickly she had come to appreciate his presence in her home. The lonely nights she came back from the hospital were now filled with the scent of cooking food and the sprawled out form of a shirtless Gray on her couch and demanding she try a new recipe.

He knew exactly how to bring a smile to her face even on her most gloomy day, and despite having lived in shadows himself for so long — it was as if he brought the sun with him.

Juvia wasn't ashamed to admit she had developed a rather strong crush in the man. She was only embarrassed by the ease.

"If you glare any harder I think something might catch on fire." Gray commented mildly after several minutes of silence.

He glanced up at her with a small smile, "Probably me all things considered."

Juvia felt her heart thump at the sight of that smile and frowned as she looked away with a small hmph. She could feel Gray watching her as the seconds ticked by and nearly jumped out of her skin as he abruptly sat down beside her. She still wasn't used to how silently he could move.

"I wish you'd explain why you're so mad at me." He said quietly, genuine concern on his face, "I know it's because of the mission, but I don't really know why it bothers you so much."

Juvia let out a frustrated sigh. Of course he would have no idea what was wrong. She hadn't said anything about her feelings yet, and he was even more clueless than most males. Though she appreciated that he was trying to talk about it instead of ignoring it.

"I don't want you to go." She replied softly, "I'm upset because I want you to stay here."

Gray frowned a little as he tried to puzzle out why she would want him to stay here, "But I need to go." He replied, "Lucy's counting on me to solve this."

Juvia nodded, "Yes, I know." He'd explained the whole situation when he'd come back and begun packing, "That doesn't mean I have to like it though."

"Wait, but—" Gray huffed in confusion, looking a little frustrated, "why are you upset then?"

Juvia gave Gray a flat look, wondering how this super-spy had managed in all his infiltration missions and nuanced training if this was throwing him for a loop.

Granted, outside of missions and jobs, Gray really didn't know how normal people operated. Not unless they were being framed by a job.

Juvia reached out, taking his cool hands between her palms and curling them together, "I'll be lonely without you here Gray."

"I'm going to miss you, and I'll be all by myself in this big lonely house," Juvia sighed and met his eyes, "do you get it Gray? It won't feel like home until you get back."

Perhaps it wasn't exactly spelling her feelings out, which she imagined he might need, but it was still profound enough for him to probably understand the idea of being alone.

Juvia leaned closer to him, lowering her shoulder to relax against his arm and curl her head into his shoulder.

"Besides it's been nice to have a man staying with me. Gives me peace of mind in case someone wants to stalk a woman living on her own," Juvia sighed, not noticing how rigid Gray went at that.

"Stalk?" He asked with a slight growl, "Has that been a problem before?"

Juvia blinked at the sudden ferocity in his voice and looked up, "What? No!" She blushed, "It just makes me feel safer having you around. I mean, Lucy's good, but she can't stop all the crime around here." She shrugged a little, "And I'm not exactly important enough to merit a bodyguard or anything."

Gray wasn't sure he agreed with that considering her skills as a nurse, but he kept that to himself, "Are you going to be alright without me around?"

Juvia smiled at the worry in his eyes and curled her hand around his, "I'll be fine Gray." She promised, "Erza beat self defense and street fighting into all of us, and tests us regularly. I'll just miss you. Do you understand?"

She shifted a little so she was facing him properly, "It'll be lonely without you around, and I'm grumpy about not having you to lean on for however long this takes."

She smiled as at last understanding began to dawn on his face and he gave her an honestly sheepish look, "I would take you with me if I could, but..."

Juvia shook her head, "No. I'm not trained for this kind of thing like you are." She reached over and caressed his jaw, "Just.. don't blame a girl for missing having you around?"

He studied her for a moment, a sudden speculative gleam lighting in his eyes, "Is it just my company you'll be missing?" He asked softly, "Or is there something else?"

Juvia blushes her expression turning somewhat shy as she lifted her eyes to his. She gave him an embarrassed smile, "I guess that depends on how much you miss me."

Gray's eyes widened at her reply, his hand drawing up and looping around her wrist where it was still cupped around his jaw.

Juvia's heart raced as he gave her such a sharp, assessing stare she thought he was turning her inside out.

"Juvia do you—?" He swallowed a bit and held her hands inside his own, "Do you have feelings for me?"

Juvia nodded, a slight tremble to her hands, but she bravely met his sharp eyes. Although now that she looked at him more closely, he seemed to be staring down out the earth in embarrassment.

"I'm not expecting anything Gray!" Juvia rushed through it, her pale cheeks began to turn the color of Natsu's hair, "and it's probably just a poor time to even tell you, and I wasn't going to tell you at all."

"Juvia, Juvia breathe," Gray insisted, holding her hands firmly in his palms and soothing her with a quiet show of him breathing.

He smiled a little as Juvia slowly took a few breaths, his embarrassment fading a little at the sight of her so flustered. He wasn't sure why, but it made him feel better to know he wasn't the only one.

"Juvia..." He said once she was a bit calmer, "I don't know how to respond to your feelings." He placed a finger over her lips before she could panic again, "Not that I don't want to, I don't know _how_ to."

He groped a little for the words, "You know a little of what it was like Inside." He said, "We were taught to be weapons, killers, for as long as we can clearly remember. Emotions were discouraged. We had them anyway, but if we displayed any the doctors didn't like we were punished."

He frowned, "My training was more flexible in that I was taught how to use emotions for my missions. Not for myself, but to manipulate others. So I recognize what your feelings mean. I just don't know how to return them."

Juvia considered that thoughtfully, a little amazed by the level of honesty he was displaying, "Alright. What do you think of when you look at me?"

"Beautiful." He replied instantly, "In every way. And brave. I didn't intimidate you at all that first day. That impressed me." He searched for the words again, "I... like being here. It's nice cooking for you, and watching you relax after a long day. I like that you're here, and you don't mind sharing what's yours."

He rubbed a thumb over her hand, "And if you ever gave me your consent, I'd be happy to warm your bed." His lips twitched a bit in amusement, "As much as I can given my magic."

Juvia blushed at the way he listed everything off for her to hear. There was an earnestness in his eyes that made her heart race, a smile floating over her face at the ease of which he spoke about her.

"You're plenty warm Gray," Juvia breathed to him, sliding her arms around shoulders, leaning towards him.

"Then you'll have something to look forward to when you come back home," Juvia whispered to him, her hands drawing teasingly down his back.

She gave him a sly smile at the way his eyes sharpened in intensity. Her chin lifted, plucking up her bravery to close the distance between them and capture his taunting moth in a grazing kiss.

"I need to give you some encouragement so you'll be able to find yourself back home after all," Juvia whispered in his ear.

Gray sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes locking on Juvia and the way she was sitting on the chair. Her legs were falling a little off the couch, tucked under her body. He could see her cute toes, painted a bright blue poking out.

He dragged his eyes over Juvia and bent down, fingers trailing through her hair.

"Maybe I do," he agreed.

He smiled at her and leaned over to brush his lips lightly against hers before standing up and grabbing his bag, "I have to go now." He told her, "I promised Lucy I would get this dealt with quickly, and I intend to hold to that."

Juvia nodded and bit her lips as she also got up, "Please be careful." She pleaded, "I know you're trained for this, but that doesn't guarantee anything."

Warmth trickled through Gray at her concern and he smiled a little as he nodded, "I'll do my very best."

Juvia nodded and with one last look he ducked out the door, a small part of him wishing he could go back and explore more of what she'd confessed. And what she'd promised.

He shook himself a little at the thought and determinedly pointed himself in Levy's direction. With her pregnancy advancing she was likely to be home right now. Fortunately, she lived nearby, so it wasn't long before his hypothesis proved true as he spotted her car.

He ignored the glances from the neighbors as he prowled up to the door, already falling into his mission ready mind frame, and knocked.

"Whaddya want now?" Gajeel growled in irritation as he flung the door open only to blink when he spotted Gray with his mission face on.

"Terrorizing Jet and Droy?" Gray asked wryly, "Levy won't thank you for that."

"Actually, Levy is eternally grateful." Levy spoke up from inside, "Those two mean well, but they're driving me nuts!"

"I shall defer to the expectant mother in that regard." Gray chuckled as Gajeel stepped aside to let him in.

"The hell's goin' on?" Gajeel demanded once he'd closed the door, "You said you was gettin' outta this business."

Gray scowled, "Something came up." He replied tersely, "Magnolia's developing supply problems, and Lucy's got a hunch it's her father's fault." His eyes glittered darkly, "I owe that woman as much as I do Levy, so I'm not about to sit around on my ass when I can get to the bottom of this faster than anyone else here."

"Supply issues?" Levy asked, her hand resting at Gajeel's shoulder and her other resting at her belly. She was beginning to balloon a little faster than she would have liked, but it couldn't be helped. Not when they discovered Levy was carrying a pair of twins.

So she had quickly been banished to light duty, since her small frame made her pregnancy a tad risky. Not to mention the magical babies she was carrying. As such _everyone_ was treating her with kid gloves.

At Gray's nod, Levy huffed out a breath and moved to her computer in her office. She was quickly flanked by the two men, but she paid them no mind as she eased into her chair.

Gajeel just smiled a fond, warm thing that made Gray want to roll his eyes in disgust over how thick he and Natsu were. It's almost as if they had no idea how dumbstruck in _love_ they were.

"That's no good," Levy powered up her computer and began to pull up logs through back access, "whose businesses have been affected so far?"

"Mine, Cana's, and last I heard Loke had a shipment of fabric mysteriously get redirected to Clover," Gray reported, "I think Wakaba's smoke shop is being hit too."

"You're not the only ones I bet," Levy frowned and tapped her fingertips against her desk, "seems like you all are the ones who get your shipments in today. I expect as the week goes on we will have more reports. Soon the town will dry up if this race is consistent."

"What besides shipping time do our orders have in common?" Gray asked, not sure where the underlying cause was, but certain it was somewhere.

"From what I can tell they were all shipped and processed at completely different places," Levy frowned, "Some went by train, overseas shipment and others by air."

"There's something there, I just need to find where it begins," Gray nodded and glanced at Levy, "it's a good starting off point. Can I get a list of the various shipping companies, that's where I'll hit first."

Levy jabbed the print button and waited for her little desk printer to spit out his report. She snatched it out and waved it a bit through the air before passing it over.

"Be careful okay?" She ordered.

Gray nodded as he took the papers and tucked them away, "I will." He promised, "Oh, and Lucy asked for you to set me up with an untraceable account to pull money from."

"Just the cash?" Levy checked, "No weapon supplies or anything?"

Gray smirked and shook his head, "I can make my own weapons. Including fully functional guns. A hell of a lot less conspicuous than regular weapons and they have the benefit of being completely untraceable."

Levy spared a moment to look impressed by that as she nodded, and dug into a drawer to pull out a debit card, "It'll be active and ready by the time you're ready to stop for the evening. I'll make sure we're monitoring for any attempts at a trace or anything so we can cover your tracks if need be."

"Not likely to be much of a problem considering who's involved." Gray replied as that also vanished, "But I appreciate it all the same." He nodded at Gajeel, who nodded back solemnly, "I'll be back as soon as I can, and I'll send reports on the usual schedule."

Gajeel nodded again, "I'll explain the decryption an' such." He gripped Gray's shoulder, "This ain't like before. You get in trouble, you call us alright?"

Gray smiled slightly at the ferocity in his brother's eyes, so much more open than before their escape, and felt something in him warm at the sight of it, "As opposed to listening to you and the Pyro whine about how I hogged all the fun for the next six months? I'm pretty sure that's a no-brainer."

The two shared a toothy grin before Gray gave Levy one last nod and took his leave. He had work to do.

Jude Heartfilia was not going to know what hit him.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

Lucy had to say she was a little impressed by the sheer amount of chaos the shipping line embargo had dropped on her lap. Although she couldn't say she was entirely surprised by it — Gray had all but confirmed for her that her father was behind the sudden decline in shipments to her town.

All he was missing was the man himself now, but Lucy was impressed by how quickly Gray had managed to dig out the truth. Especially with as many twists and turns her father took to ensure it wouldn't trace back to him.

Lucy had to admit, it would have been difficult even for her to find it. She would have eventually followed the trail of crumbs, but by then her town would have been dry of profit and there would have been little she could do about it.

Gray had narrowed the timeline to a mere six weeks. Enough to be annoying to Lucy and her business owners, but not enough to burn through the reserves her town had and put them in a tight spot.

The deviousness of her father was almost impressive. He used smaller shell companies as waystations for the shipping industries. Their various parent companies were recognizable names, however many of them held shared interests, relations, or were subsidiaries of the Heartfilia company.

Annoying to piece together, but not impossible.

Now the only thing she needed was the proof her father himself knew about these dealings. As annoying as it was, she didn't want to ruin her father and perform a hostile takeover of his company if she didn't have to.

The gods only knew she didn't want to have to run his company on top of her own.

Still, if she had to listen to one more person riding on her over why there wasn't enough raw material to fix the roads coming in, Lucy was about to have an aneurysm.

"You're the mayor aren't you?" Lucy asked with forced patience after a long moment, "there are other projects you can address in the meantime."

"Or if you find this too pressing to ignore, you can sanction vehicles to go out and get the material to bring it back. We _do_ still have transport trucks," Lucy said with a sweet smile which bordered on murder.

Next to her, Natsu took her jerky nod as a sign to show the mayor out. He stepped forward and held his hand out the the gawking mayor, who looked rather offended by her straight forward answer.

"But Miss Heartfilia-!" The mayor protested when Natsu shoved him out and snapped the door shut in his face.

"I think I underestimated how many people come to you for a fix to their problems," Natsu growled softly, marching back around to set his hands on her shoulders.

"Ugh." Lucy groaned as she leaned into the touch, "It's not usually this bad." She sighed, a soft moan escaping her as he began to massage gently, "Unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of fire I'm supposed to be putting out, and by now everyone knows it."

Natsu nodded even though she couldn't see him, "I guess this is what happens when you're the boss.. boss."

"Very funny." Lucy snorted over her shoulder, but he could see a grin creeping onto her face, and counted it as a win regardless.

"So what now?" He asked, his fingers digging into her tender muscles gently, "Snowcone still hasn't been able to pin it on your dad."

Lucy snorted a laugh at the nickname Natsu insisted on using for Gray and shrugged, "There's not much we can do until Gray finishes his mission." She replied, "Fortunately, thanks to how fast he's worked so far, we have at least another five months or so before it becomes a severe issue."

It was Natsu's turn to snort at the idea that Gray would take so long, "Won't take him that long." He replied, "Gray might be a pain in the ass, but he's damn good. One of the best in the business. And the odds of your old man finding anyone who can even detect him, let alone track him, are slim to none. He'll have that information back before the month's out."

"I truly hope so." Lucy replied fervently, and smiled at him over her shoulder, "I don't believe I'll be taking any more calls today, and I'm feeling the need to soothe the stress away in the hot tub." She trailed her fingers over his hand, "Care to join me?"

Natsu grinned as the usual surge of heat at her invitation surged through him, "Can't think of anything I'd like more." He purred.

He got up and moved after Lucy, his fingers trailing over the small of her back as she began to discard her clothing piece by piece, uncaring of the trail she left behind. Natsu had to say, he truly liked the way she opted to destress.

—::—

Miles away in a city thickly populated and far too noisy for Gray's tastes, the spy found himself sitting on a roof with a pair of headphones plugged into his ears.

He followed the schedule for the CEO that was currently contracted under the Heartfilia organization to see where the dots lined up. Gray knew his life by heart now. Morning breakfast was eaten with egg whites because of high cholesterol and a slice of buttered toast, carefully portioned out by his attentive wife — followed by a quick trip to the diner where he would inhale an entire pancake breakfast before rushing to the office where his secretary would be waiting for him.

He worked on a strict schedule, taking lunch at 12:30pm precisely.

At which point he would leave to meet his mistress for a quick bite to eat before returning to work until four. He would tell his wife that he had important documents he needed to go over and take the extra time to meet again with his mistress, leaving his loving wife alone at home.

The man was lucky that Gray was here just for information, because strangely the way this man moved through his life without taking heed of his wife's feelings made his blood boil. She was sweet and kind, a little hyper focused at times but always with pure intentions.

For a moment Gray remembered another sweet woman waiting at home for him just like this man's wife was waiting for his return.

He missed her.

He hadn't really thought about it before, not being used to missing _anything_ to do with the Agency. Not even Natsu and Gajeel.

But he missed her.

He missed her sweet smile and the way she would perk up at the sight of him cooking. He even missed her appreciative noises and the way she would enthusiastically introduce him to something new or just sit with him in the evenings while they watched something on television.

It had been... good. Better than he'd realized until it was no longer in his life.

And as the weeks of his investigation dragged on, he found himself getting increasingly impatient to finish the job so he could go back to that. Back to her.

He snorted a little as he belatedly realized he was every bit as much an idiot as the two wrecking balls. You didn't long to be with someone without having feelings for them. Maybe what he felt wasn't love, at least not yet, but it was close enough to satisfy him, and the knowledge settled something in his chest.

He would be sure to let Juvia know once he was back in town. Preferably right before he got her wrapped around him and he showed her how very _attentive_ he'd been in some of his training.

He shivered a little at the thought and sternly reminded himself to focus. He was still on a mission and he couldn't do any of what he wanted until it was over.

Thankfully, for his waning patience, it seemed he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

Because his target had just gotten the phone call Gray had been waiting for.

Gray smirked and flipped on the recording device, connecting his own to his targets. He fell silent as he listened to the cloned device pick up precisely who he wanted to hear on the other line.

"_This is Jude."_

"Gotcha you bastard," Gray grinned.

He was going home.

—::—

When Lucy got Gray's call, she couldn't help the smile that broke over her face as early morning dawned through her curtains. Next to her Natsu snorted quietly, his face relaxed and mouth slack.

The man was an abnormally light sleeper, or at least he used to be. However now when he slept next to Lucy he could fall into a deeper sleep with more ease.

Still she was a little surprised he hadn't sprung awake at the first ring. Or perhaps he had and simply fallen back to sleep.

"Thank you for your hard work. We'll see you soon. Yes, I know exactly what to do with that recording," Lucy murmured into the receiver, not wanting to wake Natsu up.

"Presenting it in court would just open myself up to a lawsuit for corporate espionage, but if its leaked discreetly to the press then it will ruin my father's reputation," Lucy spoke to Gray from the other side.

"I'll take it from here, thank you," Lucy encouraged, "get back to Juvia."

"Good news?" Natsu mumbled sleepily as she hung up the phone.

She smiled a little as he draped an arm over her and pulled her close. He'd been doing that since the incident with her father, and unlike other lovers she found she didn't mind in the slightest when he did.

"Very good news." She purred happily, leaning in to give him a kiss on the neck, "Gray got exactly what we needed."

"Oh good." Natsu yawned, still more asleep than awake, "Was gettin' tired of everyone complainin' at you."

Well he wasn't the only one there. Lucy's hand had twitched more for her gun, or replacement bat, in the last week alone than it had for the past year or more. She said nothing about that though as she pecked him on the lips and pulled away, "Sleep a little longer." She smiled at him, "I'm going to go get my shower."

Natsu mumbled something that sounded like it was meant to be a protest, but let her go anyway. She smiled a little at it as she slid out of bed and headed for her shower, silently counting how long it would take him to wake from his drowse and come join her.

-::-

Two hours later, Lucy looked up from her phone with a triumphant smirk, "He took the bait." She purred, "He's agreed to meet us at Cana's in half an hour."

"That quick?" Natsu asked, pausing from devouring his breakfast, "Bastard must've been holed up real close then."

"Probably Clover." Lucy agreed as she dialed Erza, "That's always been a favorite of his for some reason."

_"Lucy?" _The redhead asked on the other line, _"Is something wrong?"_

Lucy grinned predatorily, "Gray pulled through. I've got what we need to end this. Father dearest is meeting us at Cana's in half an hour. Would you make sure there's a welcoming committee? I don't expect anything, but a little insurance never hurt."

_"Of course,"_ Erza replied back, a note of humor entering her voice. It was one that would cause most to simply wither with fear just by hearing it, but for Lucy she was knowledgeable on precisely what kind of things her friend was scheming.

_"I'll see you soon."_ Erza said ominously, and Lucy grinned when the line disconnected, her eyes falling over where Natsu was finishing off his plate.

Her eyes followed over Natsu, a smile drawing over her face at the way he moved around her kitchen with a familiarity she hadn't ever expected to see from him. He really was such a natural part of her life now, it amazed Lucy on several levels.

She watched him gasp when her toaster spat out another slice of bread, a faint smile on her face when she watched how his hand began to lower when he realized it was the harmless machine that always startled him. Lucy could already see how his powerful fist was raised to turn the toaster into tinfoil, but his reactions had been curbed by experience.

She had gone through three toasters before he figured it out.

"Sounds like you're wanting to make a statement boss," Natsu smirked over his shoulder at her, looking rather pleased with himself that he didn't smash up her toaster.

"My father is the type that will only listen to grand gestures," Lucy gave him grin back when she rose and tugged on the back of his shirt, enjoying the way it stretched across his strong back.

She really needed to thank Loke for helping Natsu to pick out his wardrobe.

"Go put on a suit Natsu, I want you to look _extra_ intimidating today," Lucy slid her hand along the back of his neck, unable to resist.

His head turned towards her, a roll to his shoulders and soft sight the one thing to tell her he was listening to her and enjoying her caresses.

"Can't I just go naked? That'll freak him out," Natsu pleaded.

"That's not the kind of intimidation tactics I'm going for," Lucy snorted a laugh.

Although she was grateful for how he made light of the situation. It was a tense one, and it felt good to laugh.

Threatening her father with the tape to ruin his reputation was a low tactic, but not one she was above using. Her father had attempted to choke an entire town by using made up and falsified embargos, taxes, and blockades just to make a point to his daughter.

People's livelihoods were caught up in this war between herself and her father - so Lucy was not above putting Jude to the coals.

She downed the last of her coffee and got up. They didn't have much time to finish getting ready if they were going to beat her father to Cana's, and she absolutely refused to be late for this meeting and give him the perception of power.

"Hurry up Natsu." She told him, "I want us there at least ten minutes early."

Natsu nodded, his whining immediately dropping off as he quickly pushed away from the table and darted upstairs. She smiled a little as she called Cana to let her know about the incoming invasion.

One way or another, it would end today.

-::-

Lucy watched impassively from where she was firmly ensconced at Cana's best table as Jude entered the restaurant. She bit back a smirk as her father paused in surprise at the sight of her sharply dressed in one of her best business suits with Natsu scowling from behind a pair of sunglasses and suit behind her.

There would be no repeat of the club scene today, and she smiled frostily as the realization that perhaps he'd underestimated his daughter dawned on him.

"Do join us father." She purred coldly enough that Gray, who was sitting in an intimate booth with Juvia not far from them, smirked into his drink.

"Was it really necessary to bring your... toy... with you Lucy?" Jude scolded as he sat down opposite her, "This is even less appropriate than the club."

Lucy raised a delicate eyebrow at him, "Natsu is my bodyguard." She replied calmly, "It's entirely appropriate he accompany me everywhere. What we do together in our own time is no one's business but ours."

Natsu for his part, felt like wearing sunglasses inside made him look like an asshole, but it was all part of an image that Lucy was going for and he wasn't one to argue. Much.

He instead watched Jude and those accompanying him, not moving from his spot behind Lucy but his scowl darkening by degrees.

"I would hardly consider your relationship appropriate," Jude said with clear disapproval, and Lucy snorted, not letting her father set the precedent for the flow of their conversation.

"I've been getting reports from various local businesses that there seems to be a sudden halt of transfer material to my town," Lucy blew right past her father's judging tone and right into the point of their visit together.

"It's a notable cause of concern, as many people rely on the shipping industry to move their product not just in town, but to their customers out of Magnolia," Lucy spoke evenly, her eyes meeting Jude's without wavering, "I don't suppose you would know anything about that would you?"

In the back of the restaurant, Gajeel stepped forward, borrowed from Levy for the time being as he joined at Natsu's other side to flank Lucy's other side. A muscle in Natsu's cheek twitched in what would have been a smile had he been given less training.

Lucy's lips curled into a smile as Jude stiffened a bit at the new arrival next to her current bodyguard, both looking unfriendly and capable of smashing his own bodyguards into pieces.

"Just what is it you're accusing me of?" Jude asked instead, swallowing a bit but managing to maintain a level head.

"Accusing?" Lucy asked so sweetly it hurt, "Oh father... you misunderstand!" Her smile widened, "I'm not accusing you of anything. I already have proof. I was just curious if you would actually admit to what you've done."

She leveled a look at him and clasped her hands in her lap, "It was really extremely rude of you to involve the whole town in our dispute you know. And stupid. I mean, imagine what the press would say if they discovered that Jude Heartfilia, Scion of the people, was attempting to starve out and destroy at town over a petty dispute with his daughter?"

Jude scowled, "Lucy I don't know what nonsense you're spouting, but I have nothing to do with whatever problems these people are having. Now stop stalling and let's get to the business at hand!" He frowned heavily at her, "You have disgraced the Heartfilia name, and acted in a manner unfit for a lady of your station. Furthermore, you've risked the arrangement I created for you with Duke Sawarr."

He leaned back, attempting to pretend he wasn't a little intimidated by Lucy's bodyguards, "Now, I've given you some time since the club incident to come to your senses. I assume from this meeting you've done so. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Duke Sawarr?" Lucy asked, shock, disbelief, and outrage warring on her face, "You arranged for me to marry that spineless, perverted, little pig?!"

She stared at her father's serious, and increasingly thunderous, expression, and abruptly burst into laughter, "Are you kidding me?"

"The Junelle Heir is an exceptionally fine match for you." Jude replied coldly, "Particularly as he's been quite forgiving of your indiscretions to date."

Lucy's laughter increased for a moment before she got herself under control, "Oh please. I could care less what that disgusting pig thinks." She sighed, her lips still twitching in amusement, "And regardless, it doesn't matter. Because you see father, I'm not here to capitulate to your demands." She smiled darkly at him, "I'm here to make my own."

She held her hand out and Natsu handed over a file folder, "I warned you back at the club that you would be sorry if you threatened me." She told him, "I warned you what would happen if you tried to attack Fairy Tail. And now it's time for you to learn just how serious I am."

"You'll find the full breakdown of the stocks to your company here, disclosed in nice, neat numbers for your lawyers and accountants to review at their leisure," Lucy opened the file, sliding it across the table at him, "You will find that Fairy Tail and I now own the majority of your company."

Jude froze, shock warring over his face for a moment as his eyes fell down to the sheets and numbers down in front of him.

"You expect me to believe this coy bluff? You aren't in possession of that much of my shares," Jude scoffed.

Lucy smirked leaned back in her chair, "it hardly matters what you believe. I believe the only thing that matters is what the board will, and something tells me that 51% majority will hold a significant sway."

She leaned towards her father across the table, her eyes narrowing, "Now I have absolutely no interest in running your company. I lose nothing from this investment other than seeing you crash and burn."

"But I'd rather not grind you into the dirt _father_," Lucy spoke coldly, "Either run the company without interfering in my business ever again, or I will place my own man in charge of the company, regardless of what anyone thinks."

She slid a digital recorder across the table for him to keep, "I also have a bit of additional leverage to keep your nose clean. If I smell so much as a single hand being lifted against myself, Fairy Tail or Magnolia, then I will release this tape to the press, and you better believe they will have a field day ruining your name for good."

Lucy took her cup of coffee between dainty hands and took a sip, her eyes no longer on Jude and down on her drink, "That's all. You may leave now. We have nothing further to discuss."

Jude looked slack jawed at that, anger and rage building in his face and jaw. He grit his teeth and snarled low in the back of his throat, "You ungrateful child! After everything I've done for you, this is the thanks I get?"

He advanced forward, knocking the table over and causing the cup of coffee to spill out of Lucy's hands and smash onto the floor.

At once, everyone in the diner stood up at the altercation brewing, Lucy remaining calm and unmoving while Jude froze at the sea of unfriendly faces glaring back at him.

The silence which followed was a thick and heavy blanket that fell over Jude and his cronies. Erza held his chair to the side, the air of politeness around her distinctly forced and extremely unfriendly.

"I believe that is your cue sir," Erza spoke, unyielding in her attitude.

Jude watched Natsu and Gajeel advance a step in unison. There was something distinctly predatory about the way they held themselves and watched Jude. As if daring him to even raise a hand to Lucy.

Finally seeing how he was outmatched and outgunned, Jude nodded once and backed away.

"There is no coming back from this Lucy. You know that right?" Jude growled at his daughter, unable to resist one more jab.

Lucy lifted her chin to him, hands settling on Natsu and Gajeel's shoulder. The two men were unhappy, Gajeel seething, while Natsu's face was locked in an unfriendly and impassive mask.

There was something subdued about him. Something unhappy.

Lucy smiled at her own observation, feeling a bit better about losing the shreds of her biological family.

This new family of hers, the one she built from the ground up was hers. They shared her happiness, her anger and her victories.

Her eyes drifted from Gajeel to Natsu. More important than all of those things though, was the realization that they shared her grief and sadness. They shared her loss.

Perhaps they wouldn't understand it, but they knew this would make her unhappy.

And because she was sad, so were they.

Because her family, all of them - supported her in a different way.

"You put us past the point of no return a long time ago father," Lucy said finally, her lips curling into a faint smile as her guards and Erza took that as her final cue.

They advanced forward together, leading Jude to the door and not allowing him back inside. Jude stared, dumbstruck through the glass for a long moment before he was forced to back away.

Jude left, and Lucy couldn't have been happier to see him go.

Almost immediately she was engulfed in a tight hug from Erza and several of the other women.

"I don't care what you say." Erza said roughly, "That could not have been easy. And I'm extremely proud of you."

Lucy felt a lump rise in her throat at that. Erza was not one to give her praise lightly or often, and it meant a lot to hear those words. She remembered vividly when she'd first stumbled into Magnolia and had met Erza, Cana, and Levy by chance. How lacking in self-esteem she'd been despite the confident act she put on.

How the other women had tucked her under their wings without a second thought before the ever knew that Lucy wasn't quite as without resources as she first looked.

They'd been where her family, the one around her now, had started, and she sniffled a little as a sob choked at her throat.

From one side, Natsu cocked his head a little, worry on his face, "I thought she did what she wanted?" He asked Jellal, "Why's she crying?"

"She's happy." The sheriff replied quietly with a soft smile, "The whole issue with her father has been a festering wound all this time. More than she ever let on to most. And now she's gotten her closure."

Natsu's expression cleared and he smiled, "She cleaned all the gunk out and can start healing now."

He was very glad of that. Though a very large part of him still wanted to hunt her bastard father down and introduce him to his flames. He pushed the thought aside though as he watched as Erza demanded cake and treats to celebrate their victory, causing a general cheer to go up when Cana agreed, and sidled over to wrap his arms around her.

"You were beautiful." He purred softly into her ear, "Like a dragoness." He grinned at her, "Your bastard old man didn't stand a chance."

Lucy laughed a little at that, relaxing into his arms and feeling freer and lighter than she could ever remember being before, "Of course not!" She laughed, "He was facing all of Fairy Tail!" She held up her index finger, "And we're number one!"

There was a bellowing roar of approval as everyone else held up their fingers in salute only for the moment to be shattered as Aries rushed through the door in a panic.

"Levy's gone into labor!" She cried, "Her water just broke!"


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

"What?" Gajeel surged towards the door, looking absolutely panicked that he was so far away from Levy while she was in labor.

"We've got to go!" Lucy gasped and grasped Natsu's hand, a smile bursting over her face, "Come on!"

At the realization that there would always be a change of good to counteract the bad, Lucy's spirits rocketed to the sky. There was a blind panic all around them, while Gajeel nearly mowed Jellal down to get to his truck, while Natsu was jumping and sliding over a table top to get their own method of escape open.

Lucy almost snorted a laugh as she realized how out of sorts Loke no doubt was. He was bodyguarding Levy while Gajeel was gone, and of course her water had broken while he was the one trying to keep an eye on her.

She could already see the beginnings of his aneurysm starting.

Sure enough when they arrived at Levy's house, Loke was looking pale faced and like he was about to pass out. Levy's cheeks were red, her breath coming in raggedly with a stern faced Porlyusica kneeling by her side.

"G-Gajeel!" Levy panted when her wild-eyed lover burst into the room, his mouth dropping open and rushing to her other side.

"Good, you brats are here." Porlyusica growled, "Juvia, get over here and help me get her into a car." She pinned her gaze on Gajeel, "You, get back in that truck of yours and get ready to drive! We need to get her to the hospital immediately!"

Gajeel swallowed but nodded and hurried out. He didn't like the idea of Levy going to a hospital for any reason, but over the last nine months Porlyusica had beaten it into his head that avoiding them for the rest of his life wasn't possible. Not if he wanted to do everything he could to avoid any complications that could cost Levy, or his children, their lives.

Especially since they had no way of knowing what would happen if his babies really turned out to be magical.

Natsu, meanwhile, moved over to join them and carefully slid his arms around Levy before Juvia could, "I can carry her a lot easier than you." He rumbled at the surprised nurse, "You worry about makin' sure she's fine."

Levy gripped Natsu tightly, a scream strangling in her throat as another contraction hit, "Natsu it hurts!"

"You're gonna be alright." Natsu rumbled soothingly as he stood up, something deep within him urging him to protect the precious life in his care until Gajeel could come back, "Let's go."

"Everyone else clear a path!" Lucy called, and touched Natsu's arm, "I'll get the car ready for you. The rest of us will follow along behind."

Natsu carried his precious cargo to Gajeel's truck, pleased that Levy had insisted on it for him when it became clear Gajeel had a natural talent for handyman-like projects. It ran smooth and strong, and would make it an easier ride for Levy in the long run.

Gajeel was sitting stiff when Natsu carefully deposited Levy in the backseat, Juvia swiftly sliding in after her.

It eased a knot in Natsu's throat to know she was there to medically assist Levy should she need it, soothing some strange instinct that had become riled. Gajeel gave Natsu a jerky nod, one that Natsu returned before sliding out of the truck before Gajeel started up the car and triggered his nausea.

No sooner had he slammed the door shut did Gajeel speed off. Natsu glanced over to where Lucy was waiting impatiently by her car and sprinted over to it, that feeling in his stomach strengthening as Gajeel got further away. It was odd, and different from the completely normal excitement and slight panic that a pregnancy would bring.

He pushed the feeling to the back of his mind and threw the car into drive, pausing just long enough for Lucy to buckle up. Roaring down the road, Natsu drove away after Gajeel and towards the hospital.

—::—

To say Gajeel and Natsu were on edge was an understatement. Gajeel, who didn't want to be separated from Levy, was absolutely unbearable in the waiting room.

Having twins, as it turned out, proved out to be more complicated than they anticipated. No sooner had they gotten to the hospital, had they realized Levy was going to need an emergency cesarean.

Under normal circumstances Gajeel would have been allowed to go in with Levy, however things had escalated so quickly that she was quickly whisked away. It left a stunned Gajeel standing in the hospital hallway.

He took a few abortive steps to stalk after them, not at all willing to have her taken away and out of his sight. Had Natsu not been there to grab his shoulder and keep him back, he might have done just that.

"Juvia and Porlyusica are in there." He growled lowly, "We trust them. And we know they'll keep the other lab coats in line."

Gajeel nodded slowly, not quite settling, but at least managing to stop looking like he was about to go tearing to Levy's side and rip off the face of anyone who protested.

Just at that moment both men stiffened as they heard a pained scream from inside, and despite Natsu's words both looked ready to burst inside only for the angry squall of a newborn to pull them up short. It was followed shortly by another cry and Gajeel's grip on Natsu tightened.

"My children." He grunted, looking both awed and pale at the same time, "Salamander, those are my babies cryin'."

Natsu's grin was blinding, "Aye." He agreed, "They got your lungs too." He nudged Gajeel in the side, "Let's hope they don't have your ugly mug too!"

"That's a hope we all share." Gray drawled in amusement, "At least they have a fighting chance of getting Levy's looks."

Gajeel shot them a glare, but before he could say anything Juvia came out with a bright smile on her face.

"It's alright." She told the anxious faces, "Levy is doing fine and so are the babies."

"Can I see 'em?" Gajeel asked immediately and Juvia's smile widened.

"You bet. The Porlyusica and the doctors are stitching Levy up now. We don't want to risk an infection so you'll need to clean up a little before you go see them. The little ones are being cleaned up now."

"And, and are they—?" Gajeel hesitated, looking strangely vulnerable and a little scared. His voice dropped down, "are they like me?"

Juvia blinked in confusion before her expression cleared, "you mean magical?"

Juvia shrugged at his stiff nod, her expression growing soft, "your guess is as good as mine. I'm sure we'll find out here soon."

She touched the back of his shoulder, smiling at him gently, "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up so you can see your family."

Gajeel surged into motion at once, his eyes growing bright in a way that reflected delirious excitement.

Natsu smiled in relief when Juvia's calming presence guided Gajeel to a separate room where he could get into sterilized clothing before seeing Levy and the twins.

He walked to the chair where Lucy was sitting primly, patiently waiting and looking very calm. He flopped down in a seat next to her while she flipped through a magazine looking completely at peace and happy with the news.

"You look way too relaxed," Natsu said accusingly.

Lucy quirked an eyebrow at him and smirked, "Do I? Perhaps you aren't calm enough Mr. Battle-trained-soldier, but I knew Levy was in the best hands around."

"Besides, if _I_ started to pace around, then other people might have started to get worried," Lucy shrugged, smiling happily.

-::-

Lucy smiled broadly as she carefully cradled one of the twins in her arms, while Natsu held the other with a sense of wonder that was palpable, "They're beautiful Levy." She praised, "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Levy replied with a tired sigh, "Porlyusica and the other doctors think I should be able to have more children again in the future if I want. Just not anytime soon." She laughed a little, "Personally, I think I'd like to hold off on more for a few years at least."

"Whenever you want." Gajeel rumbled from where he was practically curled around his lover, and gently kissed her hand, "I ain't in a rush."

Levy smiled up at him for a moment before looking back at Lucy, "I really wanna thank you for everything you've done over the last nine months Lu. I mean, with Gajeel and helping me get ready for the twins..."

Lucy shot her friend a small smile, "Levy we're friends. And family. You know I was only too happy to do it."

The twin in her arms started fussing a little, so she handed the girl back over to her mother for a meal, "Now, I did have an ulterior motive for coming to visit besides the babies." She said seriously, "The Agency has been really quiet the last few months, but I'm worried that now that the little ones are here they'll try something."

"You're not the only one." Gajeel growled, "That bastard Zeref ain't one to let this go easy."

"Unfortunately, while I've been able to narrow the radius of the signal down to a five mile area, I haven't had any luck yet in pinning down the actual point of origin." Levy said in frustration, "It doesn't help I was kept on light duty the last few months due to the pregnancy. I mean, Jet and Droy are pretty good, but not for stuff like this."

"We'll figure it out," Natsu said cheerfully and gingerly passed Gajeel back his little boy. The big man looked like he was close to bursting with tears as he held the small baby, the same misty eyed expression on his face resurfacing as it often did.

"We'll put some feelers out," Lucy smiled at them and they headed towards the door, grinning at the happy couple. They had been together for such a long time now that she predicted it wouldn't take much more time before they were tying the knot.

They headed out of Levy's home, glad they had moved from the hospital to a place they would be more relaxed. Natsu and Lucy walked to the car, the keys jingling from his finger as he opened the door for Lucy and walked around to the other side.

However the happiness he felt over Levy and Gajeel being at peace promptly fell away when a sudden, warning chill pressed down on him through the air.

It was a pressure, strong and powerful. Something that was unfelt by Lucy, who was merely staring at him in confusion over why he hadn't gotten to the car yet.

His nose twitched, several scents coalescing around him. Faster than the human eye could see, a shadow came up behind Natsu. The reflection burned itself in the metal of Lucy's car, and he twisted around swiftly at the waist just as a monster of a creature smashed his fist straight through the siding of Lucy's car.

The car tipped dangerously, Lucy letting out a surprised scream from inside as the metal folded in on itself. Natsu swore at the fish-like monster bearing down on him, recognizing it to be Torafuzer of the Demon Gates.

He let out a rush of flame at the demon, whipping around to hear the cackling laughter of another creature clawing at the underside of the car. Natsu's eyes widened as he landed a square cross over Torafuzers jaw, spotting The Gates bomber, Jackal, spreading his palms all over the bottom of Lucy's car.

"No!" Natsu roared and lunged for him, yelping when a plant wrapped around his ankle.

Furious, and knowing Jackals magic was eroding the car, Natsu spat at the plant trying to tie him down. Mard Geer was nearby, far more cunning than any of the beasts that the Agency made were.

Natsu jumped on the side of the car, ripping open the handle and spitting a ball of flames at Jackal to get him to jump away. The gate slunk away, giggling like a hyena.

Natsu looked down at Lucy, who was disheveled and frightened looking, but was already cutting herself loose from her seatbelt.

Using a hefty surge of strength, Natsu snapped the door right off its hinges and reached out for her. Lucy grasped his hand as soon as she was cut free, finding herself in his arms and being thrown away onto the ground just as the car itself exploded.

Before horror could set in over Natsu dying in a grisly explosion, Lucy watched him emerge from the smoking wreckage, looking furious.

"Don't let that laughing bastard touch you Lucy! His touch is explosive!" He glared around himself, "Lock yourself in the house with Levy and Gajeel! There's too many of them out here!"

Lucy didn't need to be told twice as she sprinted for Levy's house, where Gajeel was already poking his nose out to see what was going on.

His eyes widened at the sight of the demon gates and his fist transformed as he hastily slammed a metal rod into Jackal just as Lucy ducked under his arm, "Stay in there!" He snarled as he fended off another attack from Torafusar, "An' kill anyone who ain't me or Salamander!"

"Right." Lucy muttered as a wild eyed Levy looked on.

"Lu! What's going on?" She demanded, holding her fuzzing daughter tightly.

"We're under attack." Lucy replied shortly as she locked the door, "The Agency sent their rejects back. Take the babies and get them into the computer room. I'm going to start barricading the hall down there."

Levy nodded and hastily collected her children and headed down into her basement. Lucy kept her ears strained for any sounds of anyone breaking in, but though she could hear the fighting going on outside there weren't any heart stopping sounds of splintering wood or shattering glass.

She pulled her gun as she covered Levy and followed her down into the basement. It wasn't ideal as there were still windows up towards the ceiling, but they were too small for most people to get through. With luck that would include any of these demon gate things.

Once she was down there she almost had to crack a smile at how a corner had already been cleared for the twins and Levy was quickly settling them down.

"How long has that been there?" She asked in amusement even as she shoved her gun back in it's holster and began pushing at one of Levy's filing cabinets.

"About a month." Levy snorted as she moved up to join her, "Jet and Droy did it as a surprise."

"Levy no." Lucy ordered as the new mother reached out to help her push, "You're still healing. If you put too much strain on your stitches they'll pop."

"I can't just sit here Lu!" Levy protested, "These things are after my children! I have to do something!"

"Then guard them." Lucy replied, "I know you have a bat down here and know how to use it."

Levy looked like she wanted to protest, but the sound of a pained roar coming from outside killed any protest before it could form. Instead she swallowed and nodded as she ran to get the bat and positioned herself in front of the twins.

There was a loud smashing sound from up above and a roar of giggling laughter that made Lucy's blood run cold. She backed away from the barricade they had thrown up in front of the door, snapping her gun out in front of her.

Her eyes narrowed while Levy held herself in front of her children, her jaw locking and grip tight on the weapon.

They held their breaths, as if hoping if they were somehow very quiet then they would be missed by the insane monster stalking them.

They were more beast than man, as if their mutations had gone wild and out of control. It was like all their humanity had just disappeared entirely.

Wild laughter echoed down the hallway leading into the basement, and Lucy breathed out a quiet sweat as the very monster Natsu had warned her against crept down the stairs.

She could hear wet giggles coming from him, and the tapping of sharp claws across the door just separating them from him.

Abruptly the door and everything behind it exploded, sending everything flying. Lucy was caught right in the ribs by the filing cabinet, her body getting flung into one of the shelving units.

The Jackal turned wild eyes onto Levy, more specifically what she had behind them. Her eyes flicked between Lucy and Jackal, torn between running to her friend but unable to leave her children to the monster. She lifted her bat, swinging at the beasts head.

Jackal caught it, giggling with uncontrolled heaves, spit drawing down his jaw and drooling over his chin. It was flecked with blood, burns and angry bruises already decorating his body.

He ripped it from Levy's hands, tossing it through the air and causing it to explode in a hail of splinters.

"You can't have my babies!" Levy screamed at the beast, bending down to shield her children with her own body if needed.

Lucy hissed around the filing cabinet keeping her pinned down, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe.

Unable to budge what was keeping her locked in, Lucy spotted her gun that had clattered to the floor near her head. Levy turned away from Jackal, instead looking at her children as the monster reached out to grab the back of Levy's head and explode it clear from her shoulders.

Levy for her part gently soothed her squealing babies, refusing to look at the monster that was going to take her from her children.

Making a desperate twist for her gun, Lucy managed to get her hand around it at the last possible second, leveling up just straight enough to squeeze off a blind shot.

Her head throbbed in pain, and she could feel like there was something hot trickling down the back of her neck. Jackal went down, a lucky shot going right through the demon's temple just as there were heavy footsteps coming into the basement.

Lucy blearily looked up, trying to force herself to focus as she lifted the gun, half terrified it was another one of those things. However, the sight of a familiar blob of pink hair had her dropping the gun with a small cry of relief.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried as he ran over to check her, "Are you alright? We saw that cackling bastard break in, but..."

"He tried to take Levy." She replied around the throbbing in her head and ribs, "Our barricade didn't even slow him down. I got knocked over here. Lucky I landed near my gun." She tried to smile, but her vision kept blurring in and out, "Jellal's going to kill me. I made that shot blind. He hates it when I do that."

Natsu grinned at her, relief pounding through him, "I think he'll just be glad you survived." He chuckled and reached out to carefully help her up, "Take it easy now. It looks like you have a concussion and maybe a couple of cracked ribs."

"Right." Lucy replied, hissing sharply as he helped pull her out from where she'd been trapped, "Ow. Everything hurts."

"Lu..." Levy sniffled from where Gajeel had helped her up, and was frantically checking the babies over, "You saved us."

Lucy gave Levy a tired smile, "You'd have done the same for me."

She wobbled a little, and Natsu's grip on her tightened, "Alright." He murmured out of deference to her head, "Time to get you to Porlyusica." He glanced at his cousin, who nodded firmly.

"Go ahead Salamander." Gajeel grunted, "Neighbors prob'ly already called Jellal, but I'll deal with it." He gave Lucy a look Natsu couldn't quite decipher, "We'll follow behind once everything's sorted."

Natsu nodded and began helping Lucy up the stairs. Of course, by the time he got up to the living room Gajeel's reckoning proved dead on. Unlike Lucy, Levy lived in a place with a bunch of neighbors. Neighbors who had undoubtedly been alerted to the battle happening in the street, and done the logical thing and called the Sheriff's office.

Jellal was just stepping out of his cruiser as they made it to the door, prompting Lucy to groan in pain and screw her eyes shut.

Lucy wasn't quite sure what happened next. She just knew she could hear Jellal's frantic voice followed by Natsu's, whose was growing more distant by the moment. She felt herself being lifted up and deposited in a car much taller than her own. Her eyes creaked open as she spotted the wreckage of her burning car and the absolute war zone decorating Levy's front yard.

She was in Gajeel's truck, with Natsu climbing in the driver's seat.

"Come on Boss," Natsu's warm touch skittered over her cheek and under her chin, forcing her to try and focus on him, "stay awake for me."

"Come on Luce..."

But try as she might, his voice got further and further away as the darkness crept in on her.

—::—

When Lucy woke up, she found herself in a familiar bed and under very soft blankets. Her own room was what greeted her, and there were all kinds of signs of Juvia and Porlyusica having been there.

She spotted Natsu standing by the door, quietly arguing with Gajeel, who seemed rather insistent on something she couldn't quite make out.

She made a noise in the back of her throat, wanting to chide Natsu for picking a fight with Gajeel, but also unable to speak around what felt like a tongue made of ash.

Instead what came out was a garbled sounding grunt that sort of sounded like his name. Still, she was pleased it was enough to grab his attention, and his stiff face immediately melted into one of relief.

"Hey." He purred softly as he walked over in three strides and sat down on the edge of their bed, "You're gonna have to move real slow. You got a real nasty smack to the back of the head and a couple of cracked ribs alright?"

Lucy nodded slightly and let Natsu move her around as he worked to get her propped up. A task Gajeel came in to help with after a few moments of hovering around the door uncertainty. Moving still hurt, but after a few minutes she was propped up and as comfortable as could be expected. Once she was situated Nastu poured her a cup full of delightfully cold looking water, and helped her drink it until he was sure she could hold it on her own just fine.

"That's better." She sighed after she'd downed half of it and relaxed into her pillows, "How long was I out?"

"About three days." Natsu reported as he handed over some medicine she immediately recognized as painkillers, and a bowl of Gray's chicken noodle soup and bread so fresh it was still soft and steaming. She must've just missed him.

"Jellal's been doing cleanup." He continued as she downed the painkillers and began eating, "The whole place was a disaster, but so far nobody said anything about us using magic. Which is a little weird since I know some of them watched the fight."

Well that was interesting. Perhaps Magnolia was more accepting than she'd thought? She hoped so, that could only be a good thing with at least four magic users running around and the potential for two more.

"So no bad fallout?" She asked.

"Not so far." Natsu shrugged, "But it's only been a few days so who knows."

"If it helps," Gajeel spoke up, a curious diffidence in his voice, "Levy's heard nothin' but concern about how you an' she are doin' an' praise for how we fought off the three tryin' to hurt the babies." He grinned a bit, "Don't think I've ever seen so much home cooked food in my life as what's been stuffed into our refrigerator the last three days."

"I think you'll find the people here very attentive," Lucy smiled at Gajeel, but hissed a little as she shifted and it caused her ribs to ache painfully.

"Easy," Natsu soothed, stiffening with alertness. His jaw locked with nerves, volumes being screamed in his eyes.

Gajeel glanced at Natsu before his eyes slid back to Lucy in apology.

"Thank you for what you did Boss." Gajeel growled quietly, Lucy's eyes lifting to him.

"I know you say any of Fairy Tail would've done it for ya, and maybe that's true," Gajeel frowned at her, "but Levy— the twins—"

"They're the best thing to have ever happened in my life, and I can't explain it, but I've got something in my gut telling me that if I had lost them..." Gajeel glanced down, seemingly at a loss for words.

Natsu frowned somewhat understanding what Gajeel was feeling. When Lucy was unconscious for days, before he knew if she would be okay, Natsu felt like he had been standing at the edge of a pit.

A bottomless pit with nothing but madness waiting for him if he fell.

They were a family. A close one, and Natsu couldn't imagine his family functioning without Lucy there. She was the heart of it.

She was everything to Natsu, and he had no idea how he could ever tell that to her.

Fortunately, it seemed Lucy didn't need them to explain. Because she smiled softly at him, "It would've been like having your heart torn out of your chest and nothing could possibly ever fill the void again. Right?"

Gajeel snapped his gaze up at her, "How...?"

Lucy's smile turned sad, "I know that feeling." She said quietly, "I've lived with it ever since my mom died." She pressed a hand to her chest, "There's no pain like it. And even though I've built myself a new family here, one I'm proud to be part of, I still miss her. It hurts to know she isn't here to meet you all and see our triumphs and pains."

Natsu curled his hand around hers and squeezed gently. That was... exactly how he felt. Though he was pretty sure he wouldn't have had the strength to pull himself back out if he'd lost Lucy. And one glance at Gajeel told him his cousin felt the same.

"Yeah." The large man said gruffly, after giving Lucy a moment to compose herself, "Yeah, that's pretty much exactly how it felt. Except you saved it from happening. An' for that there's no repaying ya. Anything you need from me you got. No questions asked."

Lucy's eyes widened as she recognized the declaration of fealty for what it was, and she smiled at him again, "I didn't do it to earn your loyalty Gajeel. I did it because Levy's my friend and it was the right thing to do."

Gajeel managed a more confident grin this time as he nodded, "An' that's why you're gettin' it Boss. All my life all I could rely on was Salamander an' Devil Slayer to watch my back. That was it. No one else gave enough of a damn 'til Levy. Then you come along giving us names and histories, helping us build lives on the Outside. Didn't know what to make of that. Didn't really trust it even if I was willin' to use it. But the other day you proved you were like Levy. You showed you could be trusted with our backs. An' to us that means a lot."

Natsu watched carefully as Lucy smiled at Gajeel, gentle and tired, but accepting of what he said.

"Thank you for your trust Gajeel," Lucy spoke quietly, "I won't betray it."

Nodding once, Gajeel turned towards the door, having said his piece. He glanced at Natsu, giving his cousin a small smirk while the fire mage was busy trying to figure out just what was going on.

Gajeel left Lucy and Natsu alone, quietly closing the door behind them.

Natsu stared down first at his hands, then back at Lucy, unsure how to vocalize just how frightened he had been when he saw her pinned under the filing cabinet and injured. How he was going out of his mind with worry as he carried her into the hospital, for once too focused on Lucy to even register his surroundings.

How until she woke up, he had been quiet and sullen, a burning ache in his chest that was agony to breathe through.

Lucy held herself in such a way she made herself seem unbreakable to the others. Natsu had seen time and again that she wasn't, however that didn't stop him from believing she was completely capable of taking care of herself.

He stroked a hand along her neck, very light in his touch.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something but not understanding what the feeling was boiling out of him. He ached to bring words to it, but found himself incapable.

"Lucy," he murmured instead, "I've never felt that before."

He pressed his lips light against hers and he frowned when he pulled away. Lucy gave him a confused look and she set a hand over his.

"Felt what?" She asked quietly.

"Fear," He replied, voice soft as he watched her.

"I've never been so terrified in my life," Natsu breathed, "not even under shellfire or being tortured in the agency. Seeing you like that was — Frightening. It wasn't something I could fight or fix or—"

He took a breath and reached out to grasp her forearm, "I heard once from someone here that fear is not evil. It tells you what you weakness is. And once you know your weaknesses, you can become stronger as well as kinder."

"I didn't get it before," Natsu murmured, "I do now."

Lucy smiled at him, carefully reaching up to cover her hand in his, "You've been talking with Gildarts." She replied quietly, "I'm glad. He's one of the wisest men I know, and has been like a second father to a lot of us. Even if he's always out traveling."

"Lucy..." Natsu breathed, "There's... something else. A feeling here." He pressed his hand against his chest, "I feel it every time I look at you. I don't know what it is. It feels good, but it hurts. It makes me want to hold you and never let go, but it also feels like fear because it's so strong."

Lucy felt her heart melt at his confused confession, and she cursed the fact she was currently injured and couldn't do what she wanted to him.

"I love you too Natsu." She murmured, "I've known it since that night at the club when my father showed up."

Natsu's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat at her simple words. Love? Was that what this strange feeling was? He'd heard plenty about it since he'd been living on the Outside, but had never connected it to Lucy until now. Except, the more he thought about it the more he realized maybe she was right.

He didn't feel any of the syrupy things he'd heard people felt when in love, but he couldn't deny he felt a deep seated need to curl her close and never let her go. To growl out his affection for her and dote on her every whim.

And if that was good enough for her, it was more than enough for him.

He grinned broadly at her and leaned forward to carefully kiss her, "I always knew I'd never escape you." He chuckled, "Now I'm sure of it. An' there's nowhere else I'd rather be."


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

Levy stared at her computer screen, her expression pale and unmoving from her seat. She hadn't moved, staring at the results on the screen for fifteen minutes as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing.

Tears stung her eyes and her fingers folded over her mouth, a strangled sounding sob breaking from her throat.

"Lev?" Gajeel's voice came from the doorway, rough and worried. He had his sleeping daughter cradled in his arms while his son was in a sack curled to his chest, "you okay?"

At the sight of him holding their family, the tears broke over her cheeks. Levy shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands, "oh no. Gajeel I'm so sorry!"

Looking alarmed, Gajeel frowned and headed into the room, reaching out to touch Levy's shoulder, "no Levy, what's the matter? Talk to me."

Levy waved blind at the computer screen, a hiccup coming from her.

"When I looked up the chip signals on the Demon Gates sent to attack us, I noticed there was an extra signal," Levy whispered, unable to look at Gajeel's face.

"At first I thought perhaps it was another Gate in hiding, but realized the signals were practically sitting on top of one another," Levy's lip wobbled and she pointed at herself.

"They tracked us by using me!" Levy looked heartbroken, "When they tested me for my pregnancy they must have done something that wouldn't show up in a normal blood panel!"

Her voice cracked and she shook her head, "Lucy was hurt bad, you and Natsu were also attacked, and it almost cost us our babies! I'm supposed to notice these things, how could I not see I was being their signal?"

Gajeel studied the screen for a moment and then looked down at his distraught lover. He shifted uncertainly before reaching over and gently dropping their daughter in her arms. That was enough to startle her into looking up at him, fear and confusion on her face. He simply smiled, despite the twist in his gut that hated the look on her face, and used his now free hands to pull another chair over to her.

He sat down heavily in it, and curled an arm around her as best he could while his other hand caressed their son, "Ain't your fault Lev." He rumbled soothingly, "The Agency's got powerful tech. Bleedin' edge stuff nobody's seen before."

"But..." Levy protested only for him to lean over and kiss her.

"Ain't your fault." He repeated firmly, "You had no way of knowin' and neither did we. Wasn't like you could fight 'em at the time anyway. Besides, they used normal trackers on us, not whatever they put in you, an' Gray got rid of those during the escape. How were you supposed to know?"

"But Gajeel, hacking is my job!" Levy objected, "This is the kind of stuff I'm trained to find!"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at that, "Had you ever seen anythin' like this before?"

"Well... no." Levy admitted, "The tech isn't like any bug or tracker currently on the market."

"Then how're you supposed to detect something you've never seen?" He asked, "That'd be like expectin' me to know how you work the magic you do. I was never trained for it, so how would I know the first thing about it?"

Levy wasn't entirely sure that was a good analogy, but she appreciated the effort anyway, "I still endangered our children." She murmured, caressing a thumb across their daughter's chubby cheek, "I'm not sure I can forgive myself for that."

"You don't need to forgive yourself for it." Gajeel replied, prompting her to look up at him, "Because you did nothing wrong." His expression darkened, "Even if the Agency didn't have a tracker in you they would've come eventually anyway. They won't stop until we permanently level them the way Wizard Saint tried to."

Gajeel curled his hand over the back of Levy's head, "There ain't no use in runnin' right? This is our home now."

"Even if you were to leave to try and protect the littlun's and Fairy Tail, they know where we are anyway. They grabbed you for a reason to begin with, so it's not like they're movin' on," Gajeel growled low.

Levy's eyes watered, bringing her daughter up to press a kiss against her tiny nose. Her watering eyes flashed over to where the sensors were beeping, nodding quietly.

"Well it's a good thing we're going to turn their faculty into a parking lot then," Levy said hoarsely. She tapped a key on her keyboard, effectively inverting the bouncing signals to a single point that was piggybacked off the frequency she left on.

She swallowed and glanced at the signal she left behind in their cell, still there. They hadn't realized the cell door itself had been tampered with before their wild escape, and she was able to use their technology and her own signal to lead back to their cell.

The location from before had been far enough away, and she had made so many wild loops to lose them from their trail, that Levy didn't quite know where they were in relation to where the agency building could be. She often wished she had paid more attention during the wild drive back, but she had been too afraid and desperate to escape and get Gajeel to safety at the time to care.

"I found them," Levy whispered to Gajeel, "I have their location."

Gajeel leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Levy's lips, savoring the way her mouth felt against his. He sighed, happy to have this sweet and stubborn woman fighting in the ways she could.

"I'll let the Boss and Salamander know," Gajeel smiled at her and cupped her cheek in his palm, "Look at ya shrimp, ain't nobody like you can do something like this."

Levy gave him a small smile back, laughing a little when he got up and gave their son a small bounce. Hopefully this would be over for them all soon.

Levy reached for her cellphone, knowing she would have to give Juvia a call as well.

-::-

Juvia squealed as she ran through her house, wearing nothing but a large shirt that clearly didn't belong to her. She quickly jumped onto her couch cushions and tumbled behind it, giggling as she heard Gray's amused muttering as he walked into the room.

She peeked around the corner of the couch, trying her best to smother her giggles as she saw a shirtless Gray in nothing but his boxer briefs walk around looking for her.

"Oh gee I wonder where my clothing thief could've escaped to." He drawled in amusement as he glanced at the giggling couch, "I guess I'll just have to track them down."

He grinned broadly as he made a show of hunting around the room in places Juvia _might've _hidden before slipping silently out of sight. His grin broadened as he carefully snuck back around to the couch, finding it hilarious that all his hard training was being used in a game of hide and seek with his lover.

He watched from above as Juvia warily poked her head out, a look of confused concern on her face, and silently dropped down behind her, "Got you."

He laughed at her startled shriek and snapped his arms around her before she could run away.

"Gray!" She huffed, torn between laughter and indignation, "That was mean!"

"How was it mean?" He grinned back, "I just used my training and environment to my advantage."

"You're not supposed to scare me like that!" She exclaimed only to shriek with renewed laugher as he dug his fingers into her sides for a second.

"Proper revenge for a clothing thief." He declared unrepentantly, "And it's not the first time either. I'm thinking you might deserve some punishment Juvia."

He lifted her onto the back of the couch and moved between her legs, a hungry look darkening his eyes, "Now what kind of punishment should I give?"

Juvia laughed to catch her breath, rolling her hips to give him more room for him to bring their bodies together. She gave him a coy smile, "should I give it back?" her fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt, sliding it up to expose her stomach to his hungry gaze.

Gray's hands drew along the curve of her sides, rolling his shirt up along the top of her breasts, his mouth watering at the sight of the black lace which greeted him, "I think that might be appropriate..."

Just as Gray was settling himself down, Juvia's legs wrapping around his hips, a loud buzzing noise clattered over her coffee table.

Juvia whined as she glanced at her cellphone, Gray making a sound which bordered on a growl, but he hoisted himself upright and reached over to glance at the caller ID.

"It's Levy?" Gray frowned, this time concern flashing over his face.

Juvia blinked and shifted the shirt back down, reaching out and grabbing it.

"Hello?" Juvia asked, still a little out of breath.

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear when Gray pulled away to give her more room to sit up. She glanced at Gray, "What? Yes- No, Levy."

"Oh my god," Juvia gasped and pressed a hand over her mouth, "Levy, that's..."

Juvia's eyes flashed over to Gray, who was beginning to look concerned, "Okay. Yeah, I'll tell him. Okay."

Juvia disconnected the call, sighing a bit and turning towards Gray. She lifted a hand to caress his cheek. His eyes darkened with worry and Juvia gave him a subdued look.

"Levy found the Agency," Juvia said, "they're going to be mounting an attack soon. They wanted to let you know what was happening."

Gray looked at Juvia's worried face. He reached out to grasp her hands, knowing she wanted to tell him to stay, but she wasn't going to.

"I have to go back," Gray said quietly, hating that he even said that out loud.

"I know you do Gray," Juvia whispered to him.

"They're my brothers," Gray pulled her into his arms, knowing she didn't want him to go back to a place which had been responsible for some much pain in his life.

"I'm going to help you," Juvia said firmly, her chin lifting up as she rose to turn to him.

"What?" Gray asked, this time in a bit of alarm, "Juvia _no_ you could get hurt! You can't come with us, we've been trained specifically to go and destabilize governments and rip a place apart. You could get caught in the cross fire."

Juvia frowned at him, her jaw setting stubbornly, "Yes. There's probably a good chance of that. But you don't think you and the others are going by yourselves do you?"

"They messed with you, Gajeel and Natsu. They went after Levy and her children. They hurt our _Boss_," Juvia gave him a firm look, "This is beyond just you three now."

"They hurt members of Fairy Tail. And a hit on any of us, is a hit on all of us," Juvia stood up, pulling herself from Gray's grasp, "I'm not helpless Gray, and I'm also not made from glass. Levy did more than enough damage when she helped you and Gajeel break out."

She poked his chin, "I would remind you, how poor of an idea it is to underestimate any of the members of Fairy Tail. Lucy picked us for a reason."

Gray stared at her, "Juvia... these are trained soldiers we're talking about now. A lot of them are former military! We're talking automatic rifles and similar weapons! I don't doubt Fairy Tail's strength, but do you really think you can go up against something like that?"

Juvia smiled at him, "If we were to just go charging in... no. We wouldn't have a chance. But Gray, you're underestimating us again. There are other options besides charging in guns blazing. And I guarantee you we'll exploit every single one of them."

She stretched a little as she sat up, "Right now, I guarantee you Levy, Jet, and Droy are working feverishly to hack their systems." She met her lover's eyes, "Levy's the best there ever was in or out of the military. They'll never even notice her until she wants them to. And they'll never, ever, catch her. All she needed until now was a way in. And she's got that."

A smirk curled around her lips, "And you can bet her very first priority will be to find out everything we possibly need to know about their base and guard rotations."

He smile broadened as she pressed close to Gray, "And as for myself..."

Gray's eyes widened in surprise as he felt a tiny little pinprick in his skin and suddenly his entire body went numb.

"I'm an acupuncturist Gray." She breathed against his lips, "I was trained by Porlyusica, who is one of the greatest masters in the world. I know where to touch to bring pleasure and healing. And how to disable or even kill."

She pulled back with a smile, the pinprick vanishing as she deftly slid a needle back onto the bracelet she rarely took off, "Why do you think Lucy asked me to look after you?" She asked, "It wasn't because I was harmless. It was because outside of Erza I stood the best chance of handling you if you decided to go berserk on us."

Gray stared at her in stunned awe, "And you can use that in a fight?"

Juvia's smile widened, "Porlyusica drilled me, and even now I can take down Erza if she lets me get too close."

Gray blinked as feeling began to return to his body, his fingers flexing in surprise at the way she had managed to immobilize him.

She smiled at him, drawing backwards enough to get some space between them. He stood up after her and Juvia curled her fingers in his, taking his hand in her own.

"I may not be able to help you with information gathering and stealth, but I can protect myself and give you and the others first aid where I can," Juvia murmured and met his eyes, "I'm going regardless if you like it, but I'd like to have your support."

Gray looked surprised, although he supposed he wasn't completely taken flat footed. He just laughed and shifted closer to Juvia, his hands settling over her wrists and up her arms, "Alright, alright. You win."

He pulled her into a slow kiss, enjoying the way she melted against him. Juvia pulled her arms around him, drawing herself tight against his chest.

"Let's go tear down the agency."

-::-

Natsu shifted with impatience as Lucy sipped at a glass of champagne, looking completely calm and put together despite broken ribs and a recovering head injury. Really she could be frustrating sometimes, and Natsu was contemplating carrying her back to bed and building a pillow fort around her.

However she insisted on this, saying she needed to be seen and looking fine for those who followed her. Because their guild 'master' without a leader was demoralizing to say the least. Especially since they were about to be marching into battle.

He watched as they filed in, Lucy's most trusted members of Fairy Tail. Natsu stood by Lucy's side, her ever-present shadow.

When the last person finally arrived, a rather annoyed looking Cana dragging Gildarts behind her, Lucy cleared her throat.

"Thank you everyone for joining me here. I know you all have been a tad worried about my injuries, but we've been given some recent information which makes this a priority," Lucy frowned, "we have a small window of time to strike back at those who have been harassing us for the better part of a year."

She glanced at Levy who stepped forward.

"Simply put, the Agency is preparing for their quarterly resupply and review." She reported, noting the scowl that crossed the faces of all four wizards, "That means that for the next two weeks their normal lockdown will be lifted as deliveries are made and they invite various vips in to inspect their products and services."

"I remember those." Jellal muttered darkly.

"Something tells me they were as annoying for you as they were us." Gray replied, his arms crossed, "So how are you planning to take advantage of it?"

"We can't go in as one of the suppliers." Lucy replied, "They're underworld, but since we didn't know this was coming we haven't set ourselves up as a potential resource. Which is just as well since some of the stuff on those supply lists is nauseating." She shuddered a bit, "So instead, we're going to take advantage of the disrupted security."

"By necessity, they won't be able to have the same level of security as normal." Levy continued, "They can't with everyone roaming around needing access. So our plan is a two pronged attack."

She pulled up a set of blueprints and projected it onto one of Lucy's walls, "This is the base layout. Based on what Gajeel and Gray have told me security will be concentrated here where the supplies and visitors are coming in. So our best bet would be to come in from the back along the north side where security is at its lightest."

She highlighted the area, "According to the guard rotations we'll have our best opening at four in the morning. The night guards will be tired from being up all night but the next shift won't have come on duty yet. If we strike at range and keep things quiet we should be able to take the guards out without alerting anyone else."

"With the increased resistance it seems likely they will unleash what's left of their Demon Gates within the facility once they are desperate," Levy dropped a thick folder onto the table, "and worse yet, people like Natsu, Gajeel and Gray who will be forced to obey against their will."

"It seems very likely to me, especially with this day, that Doctor Dragneel will be wanting to move around more of his 'product' to potential investors," Levy frowned, "And from the rumors of this, it seems that he is referring to experiments like what he performed on you four."

"There are references to an older 'Saint' program, where it was a taxing resource on the agency and almost impossible to replicate, with only one successful project," Levy continued, "I presume that one is referring to Jellal, as they go on to say that the project was later deemed unstable and went on to destroy the entire facility."

"They have no remaining records of the project baseline, so the 'Saint' line was forever lost, so they were unable to experiment on anyone using the same protocols," Levy frowned, "however, around the time the 'Wizard Saint' went missing, it seems they found the remains of a large unidentified creature they referred to as a 'dragon.'"

"At the time, they had begun to rebuild at a separate location, attempting to recreate the Saint program with a project they called 'Devil Slayer,' but were not entirely successful," Levy frowned, "While 'Devil Slayer' retained his mind and abilities, he was not an exact duplicate of Wizard Saint, although he appeared to have more endurance and overall stamina."

"It looks like Doctor Dragneel was interested by this new development, and believed it was a stable enough foundation that DNA splicing and reprogramming would be suitable to bring the 'dragon' they uncovered back to life through men. So he began a new project based off Devil Slayer's name, under the promise of a series of 'Dragon Slayer,'" Levy murmured.

"Why do I get the feelin' I'm about to get real sick," Gajeel grunted.

"Maybe because I feel like that too," Natsu scowled.

"It looks as if there were seven total Dragon Slayers in this project," Levy looked up at them, "Salamander, Black Steel, Cobra, Thunder God, The Twins, and the Sky Sorcerer."

"They were kept separated, because they showed very strong attachments to one another, forming a sort of 'nest' when they were introduced," Levy murmured, "Zeref seemed afraid of the possibility that their combined abilities were too powerful, as by themselves they sometimes showed they had the ability to overcome the inhibitor bracelets if they believed someone else in their nest was going to be hurt."

"Strangely though, it seemed this ability couldn't be activated if it was to protect themselves," Levy glanced at Gajeel, who looked faintly surprised.

"Then why did they leave Salamander and me together," Gajeel grunted, brow furrowing.

"It seems you two were already too attached to one another to separate, perhaps because you were blood relatives," Levy murmured, "that's what Zeref hypothesized at least. Although he made sure not to let you know that was the reason you were kept together."

"Now we know why we were able to break out like we were," Gray murmured, "They tried to take Levy away in front of Gajeel. He just about lost it."

"But that means there are other Slayers in there," Natsu growled, feeling irrationally angry over that.

"And it's going to be up to you two to get them out again." Levy said, "Specifically you two." She tapped her laptop, "I don't fully understand it, but somehow you two dominated the nest before your separation."

Gajeel frowned a little as old memories started to tug at him, memories of a group of kids all about his age or younger, including a tiny little girl who was more a toddler than anything else, "I... remember that." He grunted slowly, "We lived in one big room together."

His frown deepened, "I remember we used to fight an' wrestle all the time."

"Yeah..." Natsu murmured slowly, "I'm starting to remember that too. We slept and trained together, and after the others were taken away I was really sad for a long time." He looked at Gajeel, "I haven't thought about that in years."

He looked disturbed by that thought and Lucy laid a hand on his arm, "Why would you?" She asked softly, "You were separated as children and never saw any of them again. For all you knew they'd been killed."

Natsu knew she was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling of _wrong_ in his gut that he'd somehow forgotten all these other slayers until now. He glanced at Gajeel and saw the same disturbed and angry look there.

"Whatever the case, the important part is you remember now." Levy spoke up, "From the notes I've been able to decipher the two of you did something to dominate the group. I'm not really clear on what. According to Zeref's notes neither of you never had to do anything more than pin one of the others down and growl to establish dominance. Even though your power is roughly comparable."

The two 'dragonslayers' looked at each other and shrugged.

"Don't remember that bit." Gajeel admitted, "It's all pretty hazy."

"Well if we're going to pull this operation off without having to fight five other slayers you'll need to do whatever it was again." Levy insisted.

"That's something we'll have to deal with as it comes." Lucy spoke up, "For now let's work out who is going to be on what team and what their objectives will be." She swept the crowd, "Make no mistake, this is far beyond our regular scope, so if anyone wants to stay out of the fight you'll get no recrimination from me."

No one budged and a wry smile curled around Lucy's lips, "Alright, let's get started. Jellal, I trust your tactics more than anyone's, and you know everyone's strengths best. If you would?"

Jellal nodded gravely and stepped forward, "Alright, Team One will be..."


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

Natsu frowned, a speaker crackling with soft voices tucked in his ear, the volume turned down low enough it wouldn't blow out his eardrum. He was crouched down, low and side by side with Gray.

Natsu was taking after Gray's approach on this part, as the sad truth was that he was just _bad_ at stealth due to his own brash nature and the force of his own magic.

Still, with Erza right beside them, it was a good force to make them behave. Which was more than likely the reason she was with them instead of Juvia or Jellal.

_"Alright team leaders, mark your positions,"_ Lucy's voice crackled from their earpieces.

"Red team is ready," Erza whispered behind them.

_"Blue team is in position," _Jellal's voice came smooth in response.

_"Yellow team is ready at the gates with back up," _Cana's voice practically smirked over the receiver.

_"Alright, red team proceed with your route, you have thirty seconds to get inside and seal up your exit,"_ Lucy instructed.

_"I've disabled the sensors and alarms, you'll have just enough time to go in there and do what you need to do, but hurry," _ Levy said.

"Roger," Natsu grunted, watching as Gray froze the screws on the vent outside and popped the grate off. Natsu swiftly caught it before it could fall, allowing Erza to slither inside.

Gray quickly followed, with Natsu bringing up the rear. He fitted the grate back in place, and a few taps of his burning finger to the corners insured that the grate would stay up by the melted edges. A good kick to the grate would snap it off on the outside, but Natsu doubted they would be returning this way.

Natsu shivered as they made it inside the cold, familiar hallways, Erza slinking along the wall like a ninja, soundless with every footfall.

Gray himself looked pale for even being back in this place, and Natsu didn't blame him. He thought he was going to throw up just by standing in these familiar halls again.

"Steady." Erza murmured to them, "This will be the last time."

Natsu swallowed a bit and nodded, "We're inside." He murmured into his earpiece.

_"Blue team is also inside."_ Jellal murmured over the line, _"Red proceed to the lower levels. We'll meet you at the designated meeting in one hour."_

"Copy that." Erza replied and nodded for Gray to take point. The ice wizard scowled but pushed ahead as he led them swiftly down the corridor, carefully hugging the walls and disrupting the cameras as needed. Twice they had to duck out of sight as guards or other personnel passed by, and both times Natsu's fists clenched into angry balls.

Erza grabbed his wrist the second time as he made a motion to step out and fry one of the nastier doctors who had taken particular delight in finding out how much he could make them scream as he 'tested' their maximum limits.

She shook her head firmly, "Not now." She growled softly, "You go out there now and we'll lose our element of surprise."

Natsu scowled mutinously back, but paused when Gray grabbed his shoulder, "She's right. We gotta get the explosives planted first. Once that's done you can unleash hell."

Natsu struggled against the logic for a moment, his need to tear the place apart and find the other slayers warring against it. However, in the end he reluctantly backed down with a nod. He hated it, but he knew they were right.

Erza relaxed marginally and nodded to Gray, who swiftly led them to a side door, "Alright." He reported, "We're in the maintenance area."

_"Very good."_ Levy replied, "_Follow the main corridor down to your first left. There will be a large support pillar on your immediate right. That's your first target. I'm recalibrating the sensors down there now. Remember, once you start moving you won't be able to stop for more than thirty seconds before the sensors register a malfunction and alert security."_

"Alright, tell us when," Erza said firmly, crouching down as the two men beside her tensed.

There were a few moments of quiet, precious seconds ticking by in swift moments.

_"Go."_

At once the three of them moved as one. Erza fit surprisingly well with the dynamic of Natsu and Gray, seeming as if she had always been part of the group.

They sprinted along, hitting each of their designated targets, moving swiftly through the mainframe of the building until they slipped out the opposite door.

"We're out," Gray breathed.

_"Good, now get clear,"_ Lucy's voice drifted over the units, _"Blue team, that's your cue."_

_"Roger," _Gajeel's voice joined the line.

When the Blue team gave their clearance, and the Red team got out of the immediate vicinity, Natsu counted down the seconds before the explosions would go off.

After that point, it would be chaos, they all knew it.

_"Alright everyone,"_ Lucy said, her voice somewhat solemn as they all knew what was about to happen.

_"Your job is to take as many of these sons of bitches down as you can and rescue everyone innocent of the agency. You will probably lose track of one another, so watch your back and stay safe," _There was silence greeting Lucy's words, and she took a deep breath.

_"Good luck, and come back home safe."_

With that, the first explosions rung out.

What followed next was a haze of panic and chaos as alarms and fire suppressants tried and failed to ignite. Clouds of smoke flooded the building, while their team sprinted down the hallway, ripping open as many doors as they could and damaging anything important that looked inside.

Natsu often just spat a ball of fire into each room and called it a day, moving the fastest out of them all. At this point he was the one taking charge, bullheading through the hallway and kicking open doors.

He wasn't even watching where he was going exactly. Just anything, and anyone, who crossed his path was mown down. He had a vague idea of finding the other slayers, but Levy hadn't actually been able to pinpoint their exact location in the base before the attack.

Which was why when he stumbled across one it was almost by accident.

"Knock, knock, jerkfaces!" He roared as he kicked in yet another door, absently noting this one was sturdier than most of the others, only to stumble to a halt in surprise as he found three sets of eyes staring at him in suspicion.

"Who the hell are you?" One, a dark haired man about Natsu's age, snarled as he stood protectively in front of a young blue haired girl just entering her teens.

Natsu blinked as he realized they were each wearing inhibitor cuffs, and the belated realization of who they must be crashed into him.

"No freakin' way." Another man with bright red hair breathed as he straightened up, "Salamander?"

Natsu looked over at him and he frowned a little as he strained after the hazy memories to catch who this might be, "Cobra?" He asked uncertainly after a moment.

The redhead's eyes widened as he straightened up, "You remember me?"

Natsu felt something inside him nearly go limp with relief and joy. He'd found part of his nest! The very thought was ridiculous, but he didn't care. These were the other slayers. Some of them anyway. By the looks of things this room normally held all five of them, but there were only three left.

Something must've showed on his face because Cobra shot him a grin that was half mad, half gleeful, and all wicked, "Thunder and Light got dragged out to deal with whoever set the bombs off. That was you?"

"It was." Erza replied tensely from where she was watching the hall, "Natsu we must hurry."

"Right." Natsu muttered as he eyed the three, "We're tearing the Agency apart." He told them bluntly, "Are you with us?"

"For a chance to dismantle these bastards and escape to the outside?" Cobra purred eagerly, "Oh hell yes!" He rattled his wrist at Natsu, "Can you get these off too?"

Natsu strode over and pulled the metallic device off Cobra's wrist. Almost immediately Cobra snapped out a hand and slammed him against the wall, but despite the sudden attack Natsu felt no fear. He met Cobra's gaze calmly, somehow certain that he could deal with it if things got ugly.

Cobra's eyes narrowed as he studied Natsu, looking like he was reading into his very soul, and for a long moment neither moved.

"Well?" The dark one demanded, a flicker of shadow wreathing his hand despite the inhibitor.

Natsu caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye and without thinking turned and growled sharply at the dark one in reprimand.

He startled a bit at the growl, the shadows receding almost at once. Natsu paid him no mind though, staring straight ahead into Cobras eyes, "you done yet?" Natsu asked, his hand falling onto Cobras wrist to tug it back.

"You don't remember us, not really," Cobra growled after a moment, "your thoughts are just triggers of pain whenever you get a hint of something familiar of us."

"They must have wiped his mind," Cobra clarified to the other man, "he remembers enough though. His instincts were telling him to find us, it's not a trick from the agency."

"You're listening to my thoughts?" Natsu frowned at him, rather disliking getting that particular brand of intrusion, although he supposed he didn't blame Cobra for it.

"Can't be too careful," Cobra growled back.

"Yeah, because it makes perfect sense to free someone who could melt my face off just so I can screw with them later," Natsu turned towards the young girl. She was so young, Natsu was almost certain she had been just a little older than a baby at the time.

He knelt down in front of the scared girl, who trembled like a leaf behind the dark ones leg. He growled soothingly to her, his expression growing soft, "it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Can I see your wrist?" He asked her, holding out his hands and a smile gentling his face, "I can melt off that nasty bracelet for you and no one is going to get angry."

The girl looked at Cobra and then at the tall Slayer who had obeyed him. Hesitantly she held out his wrist for him. Natsu reached out and snapped the ring from her wrist.

"Good job," he praised her with a smile and stood up, reaching a hand out to take the dark ones wrist.

He snapped off the last inhibitor, and headed towards the door, "if you guys want a taste of freedom, then follow me. You don't have to stick around with me, but if you hurt any of the people wearing this emblem."

He tapped his shoulder where his tattoo was proudly emblazoned on his shoulder.

"We will have problems."

"I want to stay with him!" The girl blurted, and blushed as all attention was drawn to her, "He smells nice." She mumbled as she looked at her feet, "Like a warm day in summer." She peeked up at Natsu, "And I can taste the touch of a queen on you. Sweet and spicy."

"No taste of fear huh?" The dark one asked and she shook her head with a smile.

Cobra and the dark one glanced at each other and shrugged.

"It's not like we have a better plan Shadow." Cobra pointed out, "We need to find Thunder and Light anyway. If his nestmates are the ones causing all this then we're more likely to run into them if we stick with him than not."

Shadow sighed and nodded, "Alright let's go." He looked at Natsu, "For the record, I do remember you. A little. We all do. Except maybe Sky here." He shifted, "It's just... after so long..."

Natsu nodded, "I understand. Now, if you're going to come let's get going. I want this place a crater as fast as possible."

There were nods all around as the much enlarged group headed back out into the chaos outside. Of course, the escape of the other three slayers did not go unnoticed for long, and it wasn't long before they were being attacked from all sides.

"Stay close!" Natsu snarled as he planted his feet in a wide spread stance. His fists ignited with flames, his breath becoming fire. There was a surge of instinct roaring to life in him, angry and powerful beyond anything he could comprehend.

He wasn't about to let this nest get hurt. He wasn't about to be separated from them again. His memories had already been robbed enough times that they were just a distant sense of familiarity, but he refused to see them harmed.

He got the impression that he had done this before, the faint memory tickling at him as he roared and screamed and tried to get back to his nest. But back then even with his memories he hadn't been powerful enough to protect them. Now he was

"_GET OUT OF OUR WAY!" _Natsu roared, funneling his arms upwards to create a tunnel of flames to catch their enemies and fling them back.

It carved a clear path out, Natsu slamming his heel into a door and spitting out a rush of flames.

He could hear the sounds of battle everywhere, even with the Slayers around him.

At least until Shadow went down with a roar of pain, an electrode sticking from his neck and electrocuting him from the head down. Natsu whipped around with a snarl and twisted around, ripping the device from Shadows neck without remorse or pause and glaring at the man responsible.

Beyond them stood Zeref, a calm smile on his face but cold fury shining in his eyes.

"You couldn't just leave well enough alone Natsu?" He asked him, "I allowed you to keep your freedom. I would have even granted it to Devil Slayer and Black Steel."

"All I wanted was the twins. Such a prime opportunity for scientific discovery!" Zeref leveled his gun at Natsu.

"But you had to come back to destroy my work, and furthermore— you're trying to free the reject dragons that I fought so hard for you to forget?" Zeref purred.

"You..." Natsu snarled, flames engulfing him, his eyes burning with fury, "You bastard!" He stalked towards Zeref with flaming fists, "I'm going to turn you inside out for what you did!"

"Oh come now Natsu." Zeref chided mildly, the gun moving to rest between Natsu's eyes, "You mustn't be so dramatic. I gave you powers beyond mortal man! Through you and the others I've brought magic itself back into this world!"

"You murdered our father." Nastu snarled lowly, earning shocked looks from everyone who didn't know, "You murdered Metallicana and kidnapped me and Gajeel. You kidnapped all the others from their families too!" He glared at his brother, fangs bared, "You fucked up our DNA! You tortured us and tried to turn us into killing machines! You took Levy and tried to kill her and steal her babies! YOU HURT LUCY!" He roared.

"You seriously think I'm gonna let _any_ of that go?" He snarled as he tensed, ready to rush Zeref before he could get a shot off.

"Put that way, probably not." Zeref conceded, "Which is why I brought insurance. Light!"

Natsu's eyes widened as Light stepped out of the shadows, his eyes downcast as he firmly held a struggling Lucy and Levy in his grip. A soft whine sounded from his throat, one that Natsu's instincts instantly recognized as repentance, but the overriding anger that the two women were in danger overrode any inclination he had to forgive the other immediately.

"Lucy, Levy!" Natsu hissed, his eyes narrowing with fury. His heart beat rapidly, feeling as if it were about to burst from his chest. He knew Lucy was still injured, and Levy still had her stitches from her delivery.

"Now why don't you stay right there Natsu, don't move or I'll have Light here burn your pretty little Queens head off," Zeref said calmly, although he looked a bit displeased by the barbaric way of getting his point across, he was mollified when Natsu lowered his shaking fists.

"That dragon I combined you with, makes it so easy to manipulate you once I know what's important," Zeref smirked and waved a hand at the other three growling Slayers standing behind Natsu.

"How fascinating it was to discover that the creatures we believed to be dragons of legend had a system of hierarchy! Once we removed and immobilized the leaders of the nests, the rest of the Slayers seemed to lose the will to fight much more quickly," Zeref smirked at them, "they became far more compliant once the influence of you and our dear cousin was gone."

Zeref squeezed the trigger and Natsu staggered as he was hit right in center mass. Natsu staggered in shock, his hand reaching out to smother the bullet wound in his chest.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed, fighting against her hold as she watched him steady himself, a growl building in his chest.

"Relax Miss Heartfilia, he's had worse than a measly bullet to the gut. I just want to ensure he comes quietly," Zeref hummed and watched his brother.

"Now send your Slayers out from behind you and we will get them collared and put back in their cages," Zeref smiled serenely.

"You'll have to go through me to get to them," Natsu spat back.

"Salamander," Cobra murmured. However his eyes locked into the small blue haired woman, who wasn't struggling as much as she had before . Her eyes stared instead behind them.

Cobras eyes followed the direction her eyes went, spotting an angry shadow creeping up from below the hallway. It was something Salamander had noticed also.

That was why he had allowed himself to get shot. Was keeping Zeref's attention on himself.

"Don't be stupid Salamander, you don't know us!" Cobra snarled, "this was a hopeless task to begin with. There's no escaping the agency."

Shadow nodded solemnly, his hand falling on Sky Sorceress' head to keep her quiet and prevent her from blurting out what they all saw.

"I stand by what I said Zeref, if you want to take them. You will need to go through me!" Natsu snarled.

Zeref scowled and raised his gun again.

"Very well, if you're so insistent on it. I'll put you down in such a way you won't ever think about running again," Zeref smirked, aiming for his knees.

This time when the bangs rang out, the bullets collided not with flesh, but with a wall of ice.

Zeref whipped around just in time for a metal rod to come hurtling towards him, and he shifted out of the way just in time for it to slam right into Light instead.

Lucy and Levy fell to the floor, freed from his grasp. And an unfamiliar 'Meteor!' came from further down the hall.

A blur of golden light shot down, gathering the two women up and coalescing into the form of Jellal, who was scowling over at Zeref.

The wall of ice burst into pieces as Natsu rocketed through, slamming his knee into Zeref's gut. His hand wrapped around his brother's throat, his other one slapping the gun away as he sat on his chest.

"You wanted nothing more than to recreate dragons! You got more than you bargained for Zeref!" Natsu snarled.

Zeref gave Natsu an amused look, even from his spot on the floor. Red scales were rapidly appearing over Natsu's skin, fire licking out from his body in the shape of wings and horns. Sharp fangs were bared down into a snarl of fury.

"Perhaps I should have made something with less teeth."

"Your last mistake." Natsu snarled darkly as he tightened his grip Zeref's throat and his flames spread.

Within seconds the sound of Zeref's pain-filled screams could be heard before they abruptly cut off with a sickening wet pop that could be heard even over the roar of the fire. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as Natsu stepped away from the flaming corpse. He growled lowly in his throat and as one the other slayers, save Gajeel, knelt with soft whines of submission.

He ignored them however as he walked over to Jellal, his flames receding as he stepped up to Lucy, "Are you alright?"

"I've had better days." She admitted with a small smile, "I'm more worried about you."

Her eyes dropped to his injury and he covered it with a hand, "Don't worry." He replied, his usual grin beginning to work its way over his face, "I'll be fine."

He reached out hesitantly to her, aware he was still covered in red scales, but to his relief she didn't hesitate as she grasped his hand and let him pull her into his arms.

"Your scales are pretty." She grinned as he scooped her up into his arms, "I'd rather admire them elsewhere though if you don't mind. It really stinks in here."

"Yeah it does." Natsu agreed and glanced at the others, "Well? You heard the lady! Let's get the hell out of here!"

There was an answering roar of approval from the others and as one the group surged forward, eagerly obliterating every trace of the Agency off the map. By the time they were done there was nothing left but smoking ruin and a few twisted pieces of blackened metal Gajeel refused to eat.

Natsu poured all his magic into setting the building ablaze and ruining it from ever being used again. The Sky Sorceress used her unique ability of air to blow his fire to greater heights until the whole thing was ash.

Gajeel grunted as he scooped Levy into his arms, depositing her next to the unconscious body of a heavily tattooed man with blond hair and a lightening shaped scar across his face.

He grinned at her affronted look, but Levy just smiled and leaned in to kiss him. It seemed as though the man who he had fought while inside bore a striking resemblance to old man Makarov.

Lucy for her part was wondering what to do with the five new strays that seemed extremely attached to Natsu and Gajeel. And for some reason, her as well.

They would have to comb through the files on these people to find out precisely what had been done to them and how it would affect them further into their lives. She would certainly have her work cut out for her, but she was already beginning to work out various things and places for them to do or stay.

With as attached as they seemed to be to Natsu and Gajeel, she didn't foresee them going out on their own.

Natsu was starting to look pale though and his breathing was coming in heavier, which told Lucy plenty enough that he had exhausted his supply of magic enough so the bullet on his gut needed to be treated.

Lucy got in the drivers seat of the van they were using as their command center, knowing the whining Natsu more than likely would be incapable of making the trip.

"Let's go home."


	21. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

Lucy observed her empire with a fondness and smile that pleased her beyond anything else. She sat at a picnic table, a gun in a stylish hip holster at her thigh, while she cut a generous slice of apple pie for Little Wendy, one of the Slayers formally known as the Sky Sorceress.

Somethings never changed, while others did.

She watched further down the line as the Slayer Thunder, or Laxus as he was known, was sitting in the sand next to Makarov, his grandfather. That had been a particularly heartwarming reunion for them.

Laxus was talking with Mirajane, his expression carefully controlled but fondness in his eyes. Nearby Cobra, or Erik, was in a fierce drinking contest with Cana, who was shockingly keeping up with the Slayer. However Lucy suspected the bartender, the quiet Kinana, was quietly watering the drinks down the longer they went.

Erik kept smirking at her in such a way he knew precisely what she was doing, but Kinana resolutely did not look at him as she continued her 'generous' pouring.

Not even when a drunk Cana giggled over how absolutely adorable of a couple those two made together. A comment which confused Erik and made Kinana's entire head erupt into a blush.

Lucy's eyes drifted over to where Gray, Natsu, Sting and Rogue were all involved in a very competitive game of beach volleyball. At least until Natsu was kicked out for popping his second ball and Gajeel subbed in. Lucy secretly suspected he wouldn't fair much better.

Natsu however stomped over to her and Wendy, dropping down besides her and looking as though he were on top of the world.

"You look really happy Natsu!" Wendy exclaimed as she bit into the apple pie with a happy hum.

"Course I am!" Natsu cackled, "Nest's happy, an' life is good."

Life was more than good actually. Jude had taken Lucy's threats to heart and had been quietly running the 'family' business since the episode at Cana's. There had been some grumblings over the cancelled wedding, the cheeky little duke had even made the trek out to Magnolia to petition Lucy directly. That had been... entertaining.

Lucy hadn't even planned it. She'd been meeting with Laxus and the rest of the nest over how they were settling in when the little duke had swept into Cana's loudly proclaiming his desire for her hand. She'd been caught so flat footed all she could do was gape at him as the entire diner stilled and an angry Sting had demanded to know who the little toad was that wanted Natsu's queen.

The sight of the 'royal' duke wetting himself at the sight of seven angry slayers had been enough to snap her out of her shock and into a fit of laughter.

Ever since then things had been quiet, and Lucy had a feeling they would stay that way. Between the rumors of the destroyed base, and the cause of its destruction, filtering into the underground community, and the rumors of Lucy's ruthless dealing with Grimoire Heart and her father, the message had been properly sent at last.

Mess with Fairy Tail and Magnolia at your own peril.

And with their little 'guild' growing it would only get stronger.

"Life _is_ good." She agreed, as she took a bite of ice cream, "I could definitely get used to this kind of peace."

"You'd get bored in a month." Natsu grinned at her, "You like the excitement."

Lucy laughed a little at that, "Maybe I do." She replied, "Maybe I should start an actual guild. You know, one where people can send in job requests for us?"

They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Somehow I don't think that's your style." Natsu purred as he reached around to rub his fingers up her arm, "I'll just have to keep you entertained instead."

"Oh my god!" Levy exclaimed from a little down the beach, drawing everyone's attention, "Gajeel look!"

Gajeel immediately abandoned his game, but it was immediately apparent that it wasn't an emergency given how Levy was laughing at Jutla, "Your daughter takes after you!" She cackled, "Look!"

Lucy moved over to look and burst into laughter as she spotted Jutla screaming with laughter, her tiny fist wrapped tightly around a formless lump of metal.

"Wha-?" Gajeel asked, "But how?"

"Don't ask me!" Levy replied cheerfully, "She made it form all on her own!"

She waved it around happily and Levy gently nudged her daughter over to Gajeel, "go show your papa!"

Jutla squealed and waddled over to her dad, holding the metal out in her chubby palms, "da-da!"

"For me?" Gajeel crouched down and gasped at the lump, holding it in his palms as though it were something precious, "how about that? That's my girl!"

He picked up his daughter, things effectively distracted now since she stole the show. Lucy laughed as she watched the nest and all of Fairy Tail oooh'd and aweee'd over the display.

Natsu wrapped his arms around Lucy, burying his nose into her neck and breathing in deeply.

His eyes were soft on the scene before them, but he turned Lucy while she was distracted and the crowd wouldn't pay attention.

There weren't any words to describe what he felt about this perfect woman, so he cradled her close and kissed her sweetly.

They had gone on an adventure together unlike any other job or mission he ever had. And to think it started off with her almost running him over and cracking him across the head with a bat.

"I love you," he said quietly to her, speaking those words out loud for the first time in his life, regardless of how long they had been together for.

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected such a sentiment, but she melted into his arms and curled her head under his chin.

"I know," she murmured into his chest, squeezing her odd but perfect lover tight.

She played with the band in his left ring fingers, almost laughing at the absurdity of him only now speaking those words aloud.

"I mean we _are_ married Natsu," she purred to him.

He let out a sharp laugh and clipped his fangs light across her bottom lip.

"That we are." He purred back, "My queen."

Lucy smiled at the draconic term. Natsu had gotten a lot more comfortable with them since he'd been reunited with his nest, and seemed all the happier for it.

"My drake." She teased, leaning up to nip at the tip of his nose. She glanced over at the happy scene, "Maybe one of these days we can add a 'hatchling' or two of our own to the nest." She looked up at him, "Would you like that?"

Natsu's smile was blinding as he kissed her, and Lucy felt her heart overflow with happiness.

Oh yes, life was very good in their little empire.

Exactly as she'd hoped all those years ago when she began to build it.

_**And that's it! Here's your SPEEDRUN FANFIC. I posted the whole damn thing in one day. My eyes are a little sore. I hope you all enjoyed the story as much as we liked writing it. You guys are the best and even though we're in the My Hero fandom now, we still wanted to bring you this finished story! Thank you so much to everyone who waited for it! - Mslead**_


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